Morals and Ethics
by BritCat - Twilight Lover
Summary: When the Cullens move to Forks they don't expect to find a vampire already living there. This vampire has an even more unique hunting style than they do. Similar ones have been done before, but mine is better! Canon Pairings. Complete for now.
1. Sarah Louise Fitzroy

**A/N – Similar stories to this have been done all over fanfiction so if it is dreadfully similar I do apologize. No infringement is intended. Hope you enjoy the story! Bella is very different and I decided to make her a Brit, like me! ******

EPOV

Forks was by far, my favourite town, when it came to scenery, hunting, isolation and activity level. We were close enough to Seattle and a few other large cities that my brothers and sisters were content, when it came to clubbing and shopping. Forks had a few old buildings that Esme loved renovating and a sturdy hospital that Carlisle enjoyed, if only because of its comfortable layout. Forks was packed with hidden waterfalls, hot springs, caves, clearings and meadows. Every time we lived there, I found yet another place to enjoy when the sun came out. Forks, was where we were moving this year.

We would start out in grade eleven, with Rosalie and Emmett pretending to be in grade twelve. It was the same story; Rosalie and Jasper were twins, Alice, Emmett and I were siblings also, all adopted by Esme and Carlisle when we were younger. Carlisle was pretending to be twenty nine, a little younger than usual, but we had realised that people rarely believed he was older than thirty.

We were transferring mid-year. This wasn't what we usually did, we usually pretended to start in grade nine, but Jasper had had enough of arguing with the history teachers about the civil war. I was glad that Forks only required two years of History classes, however four years of Gym class was tough. It wasn't easy learning the control to bounce a basketball without bursting it, or to play dodgeball without seriously injuring the receiver of the hit. We practiced being 'bad' at sports, missing shots at the net, or getting hit once in a while. Gym was perhaps my least favourite subject, simply because I had to pay attention.

I was driving, at my usual speed, not caring where I was going. I was going hunting, but where I ended up I really didn't mind. The engine wasn't quite protesting the speed, but it was close to it. There were rarely any other drivers out this late, or early. It was about one in the morning. I was watching the road through the heads of the drivers near me. This particular road went straight for miles. I half-closed my eyes, listening to the passing thoughts of distant people, driving or otherwise. I was completely relaxed, until the front of my car suddenly impounded around me, sending glass fragments all over me.

The Volvo's metal groaned and screeched as it folded in on itself. The engine I could hear compounding and my seat and body got pushed into the depths of the car. The impact was so fast that the airbag system broke before it got a chance to deploy. I felt the car begin to lunge upward, the back of the car continuing its momentum, flipping itself upside down. The entire, smashed up Volvo was, for a long moment, airborne until it finally crashed to the ground, upside down, with me inside.

I knew that I hadn't swayed from the road, so what had I hit? I would've heard a human, or even a vampire. I could hear a dog whining and briefly considered the possibility of hitting a wolf or something. That however would not have caused the damage to my car. The whining disappeared quickly and I was left in the pile of metal that used to be my favourite car.

I pushed my way out, calmly splitting the car into two pieces. I then proceeded to remove my intact CD's and then compact the car into small cubes, that in turn, became metal dust. The only evidence of a car accident was the glass and the deep gouges in the asphalt. I was examining my torn clothing when I caught the scent; vampire. The scent wasn't strong, and was being blown away quickly by the wind. I decided to hunt and return to the family as soon as possible. What business had a vampire had with my car? Or was it a personal vendetta against me? What was a vampire doing in this area? Was it alone? Why hadn't I picked up anything mentally? Questions plagued me during my hunt and on the way home.

BPOV

I carried Mouse to the vet as fast as my legs would carry me, which was pretty fast. Almost the speed of sound when I was scared. I slowed as I got there. He lay, whimpering in my arms, as I entered the hospital, being careful not to nudge the broken leg. The doctors sedated him and took him away, to bind the leg as I filled out an accident report.

_Cause of injury?_ A vampire's malicious driving. I put _Car accident_.

I sat in the waiting room, being told that it would probably be a while before he even woke up, and that I should come back the next day. If I wasn't pretending to be human I would've agreed, however, my 'parents' were expecting me home. I ran home, vampire pace, and grabbed my wig, sliding it onto my hair before I walked to the front door, human pace, telling both of my 'parents' that Mouse had been hit by a car and was in the dog hospital. They wondered what I was doing up so late. I told them that I couldn't sleep and that I had taken Mouse for a walk when he got off of the leash and hit by the car. Simple enough story. Actually, I had gone out hunting.

After my meal, three men and two teenage girls, I had returned home, storing the money I had taken under my bed and it was then I had realised that Mouse was missing. I had carefully followed his scent, finding him just in the nick of time. He was running across a road, not seeing the oncoming car, simply because it was moving far too fast. I ran out into the road, crouching low over Mouse's body. I was holding him too tightly and as my back absorbed the impact of the car, my hand broke his leg. I would feel so guilty about this, for the longest time.

I sat in my room, wig discarded, doing the homework assignment that was due in a few days. It was supposed to take at least five hours of research to complete, but I had the books already and had written most of it within the hour. I then sat, turning on my walkman, listening to a few of Chopin's nocturnes, trying to calm down after tonight's events.

Hopefully the vampire was only passing through. Hopefully he would leave the area before he exposed us. Hopefully I wouldn't have to fight him. Hopefully he wouldn't ever see me again.

Although I didn't know it... my hopes were in vain.

When it was time for me to wake up I had my shower, pinned my wig in place and got dressed, going downstairs to make breakfast. I poured the smallest amount of cereal into my bowl, adding a touch of milk. I then poured a bowl's worth of cereal and milk into the toilet. I returned to the table, placing the bowl and spoon on the wooden surface and went back to flush the toilet before my parents suspected that I didn't eat it. By wasting the food, I ensured the fact that they had to buy more, thus keeping up with the human appearance. I was taking my almost empty bowl to the sink when my 'mother' walked in. She saw the bowl, still with food remnants in it.

"Cereal again?"

"I like my food schedule. Easy to buy, easy to make, good to eat." I replied. She made her breakfast and I went upstairs to brush my teeth. I put the toothpaste on the brush, then, running the water, proceeded to wash the toothpaste off of the brush. Again with the small details. If occasionally I needed toothpaste, there was no suspicion. I grabbed my homework and got into my car, ready for another day at school.

Being a vampire made school easier. I was able to grasp concepts quicker, and do the required reading faster. I always finished tests on time, always wrote the best exams. I was in every way the perfect student, just like Sarah had been. The morning passed swiftly. I heard rumours about new students coming to the school. Five of them, all adopted siblings of a doctor that was moving into town. I could care less, as long as they stayed away from me. At lunch I sat with Sarah's friends, quiet as always, eating an apple, which I would have to throw up some time in the next hour.

"Sarah?" Angela asked. I looked up, smiling slightly.

"Yeah?"

"You coming to rehearsal tonight?"

"Definitely."

The bell rang shortly after, and I hurried off to my next class; biology. After that I had gym. Sarah had always been very good at gym, especially dancing, hence the rehearsal.

After school the dance team, myself as captain, practiced. The song was 'Hide and Seek' by Imogen Heap. It was practically impossible to construct any dance pattern to the song, making it a good one, if you managed it. I being 'enhanced' managed to see the slight imperfections and difficulties people were having, enabling the team to get better and better. I was also working on the solo Sarah had been thinking up before her death. I was being watched by everyone as I flipped and turned, hitting every beat in the song 'Paralyzer'. I hadn't yet thought of an ending and I pretended to be having difficulty with some of the moves. I would get falsely frustrated and practice a few times per rehearsal.

When I got home that night I drove straight to the hospital. Mouse was okay to be taken home, but he would be in a lot of pain for a while. I felt intensely guilty again.

"Hey, you aren't the same girl who brought Mouse in. She had brown curly hair." The receptionist noted. I bristled, _Damn. Another mistake, a slip up that could ruin things_.

"No. That was a friend of the family, she was taking care of Mouse at the time." I told her. The receptionist shrugged it off as I carried the very drowsy dog to my car. I laid him on the front seat and drove home, making sure that my 'parents' saw me when I pulled into the driveway. They came out and helped me carry Mouse into the house. Mouse, being a largish chocolate lab was much too heavy for me to be carrying for a long amount of time, let alone up the stairs to my room, where he slept every night. Or so my 'parents' thought.

That night I watched Mouse sleep, seeing his nose twitch at whatever dreams he was having. I listened to his heartbeat, pumping the blood around his body, much faster than a human heart could. I listened to his steady breathing and watched as he occasionally twitched his paws, chasing something or another, or more likely, being chased. Mouse was named, not because he was mouse brown, which he was, not because he was as quiet as a mouse, which he was, but because of all things, mice scared him. He was afraid of mice. Rabbits he would shy away from. Cats he wouldn't go near. Mice, any mice, and he would be running in the other direction. Mouse was as timid as a mouse. He was my best friend, the only one who knew I wasn't who, or what I appeared to be. Animals had that unique sense. The sense that told them vampires were extremely dangerous. Mouse didn't mind me so much. He knew that I didn't want to hurt him. He also knew that I was not Sarah Fitzroy.

EPOV

The family was just as shocked as I was and we immediately began searching for signs of a vampire in the area. There were no unexplained deaths, or missing people in the area. In fact, the only crime spree seemed to be muggings, but all of the victims were still alive. This indicated that no normal vampire was living anywhere near here. There were also no animal carcasses, indicating that no vampires, such as ourselves, were in the area. It was possibly a random occurrence. Possibly.

We were going to be in school on Monday. I had the weekend to relax, and I spent it in my room, listening to music. Alice, Rosalie and Esme had all gone shopping. Carlisle was at the hospital and Emmett and Jasper were battling each other on an MMORPG, (mass multiplayer online role playing game) Jasper was a warlock and Emmett was a troll. They were both currently trying to beat each other.

I sat, letting my mind relax while I listened to Metallica. I didn't tend to like heavy metal, but when I was grumpy, it made perfect sense. That Volvo was, by far the most likeable car I had owned. It had personality and it was the only car we owned that didn't stand out too badly in Forks. I was considering taking the Vanquish to school, but I realised I would have to find another car, when I remembered all of the wandering hands that would love to steal such a prize.

When Carlisle came home that night he looked, for lack of a better word, sad.

_Edward, I already have a special patient and it's only been two days of work._

"Who's the patient?"

_Someone named Sarah Fitzroy. Her parents think she may be bulimic; they've caught her throwing up after dinners and not eating much in the first place. She either actually has an illness, or she is just bulimic, they want me to check her over. She's apparently a very bright girl, intelligent student, talented dancer, active social life. Her parents have noted some changes though, since a recent death in the family. It could be her way of coping with losing the family member._

"Have you spoken to her yet?"

_No. They've scheduled an appointment on Monday night though. Could you perhaps, observe her at school? Often, a parent's images of their children differ to the actual child's behaviour. If she seems bulimic, it could save me a lot of unnecessary tests._

"Of course." I would also read her mind; gather what she thought about her life and the people in it.

Carlisle thanked me with a handshake. It was the most contact I was comfortable with. The only other contact I allowed was the occasional hug from Esme if she was unnecessarily worried or scared, but being my mother she got special privileges. I returned to my room, with at least the prospect of something to look forward to.

Come Monday morning we all climbed into Rosalie's convertible. I drove. I always drove. I was never the passenger. We pulled into the familiar parking lot, noting the small changes and we were swept up by a few students, determined to show us around the school. One, Eric he told us his name was, wasn't reading the hints correctly and didn't seem to realise that we didn't want him there.

"And in building three you have...." he continued, though his thoughts were elsewhere. _They are all really good looking. Like Sarah, only I liked her better without her contacts, they are way too freaky a colour. These guys all have a kind of gold colour. I bet that would look great with her red hair._

I wondered idly if the 'Sarah' he spoke of was the one I was supposed to be observing. Perusing through the minds of the students I found no depressing thoughts, only the annoying ramblings of teenagers, and a few sexual thoughts about 'Sarah' again. According to all of the mental images I got, she was average height, slender yet soft, pale and had golden-red, short, straight hair.

I sat through my morning classes, barely listening to anyone, picking up occasionally on Emmett or Jasper complaining, or Rosalie gloating over the looks she was getting, from teachers and students. Alice was oddly blank, which immediately signalled a warning. This would either be a bad surprise or a good surprise. Come lunch time, we all bought food and found an empty table, away from the rest of the students. Alice was trying not to stare at the lunchroom door.

"Alice?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

We stared at each other determinedly, until a stray thought crossed my mind.

_Wow, what's up with Sarah? She saw the new kids and bolted. What's wrong? Does she know them?_ I turned around, to see a girl looking confusedly at an empty hallway. She shook her head and found a spot at a table, explaining to her friends that Sarah had to go somewhere. I tried to restart the staring match, but Alice began talking animatedly to Jasper.

_She's hiding something. She never talks this much at lunch._ Jasper thought. I nodded. What was Alice hiding?

BPOV

"The doctor said he can see her on Monday night." My 'mother' whispered. I was two floors above them, with my music on, supposedly not able to hear them.

"It's for the best. I want to help her. If she is bulimic..." My 'father' trailed off. Bulimic. Honestly. If only they knew. Hopefully the doctor wouldn't try to take my temperature, or pulse for that matter. Monday morning I spent gloomily, trying to argue with my pretend doctor in my head.

Are you bulimic? No. Are you sure? Yes. Do you throw up your food? Yes.

I wasn't doing too well. The only promise of slight excitement was the possibility that one of the five new students might be in my class. None were in the mornings anyway. The other students who had had classes with them said that they were really good looking. After seeing not one, but two vampires, myself excluded, I honestly doubted anything could look that beautiful.

At lunch I was walking with Angela to the lunchroom. The hallway opened onto the cafeteria and I saw them immediately. Five. Vampires. In my territory, in my _school_. They were clearly powerful and looked dangerous, even to me. Would they chase me away from my home? I couldn't fight five. Who were they? Adopted children, my brain supplied. There could be more.

I decided to skip lunch, not that I needed it, and went straight to the gym to practice my dance routine. My teacher was there, as were a few boys, using one end of the gym for a small game of hacky-sack. I turned on the music and began the moves, twisting and turning to the beat. My eyes closed, my breathing steady and my moves routine. It helped to calm my nerves. When I finished I was nearly completely relaxed. I would have to try and talk to them. Somewhere public.

I was late for biology. When I got to the door I smelt it. A vampire, one of the five. There was no way I could sit in a class near a vampire. We would most likely fight and I didn't want any casualties. I decided to skip for the afternoon, driving home and telling my parents that I was feeling sick. When I was up in my room I began talking to Mouse.

"Mouse?" he opened one eye, sleepily. "I don't want to start a territory war. But I don't want to move either. I've put so much into this charade, I cannot just quit now. I want them to go away. They moved into my territory right? I can ask them to leave. No I can't there was a really big one, he looked like he could rip me to pieces. There was another with countless scars, just on his face, neck and hands. I cannot imagine how many of our kind he has killed. I can't fight, I don't want to. But I can't move. We cannot share territory either, vampires kill humans. That is why they usually travel a lot, so that they don't get discovered. I only remain undiscovered because I don't feed like the others. Not after Sarah." If I could cry I would've been.

Mouse sensed this and put his head on my jeans. I appreciated the action, even if it did get slobber all over my leg. I would have to try and talk to them after the damn doctor's appointment.

I sat glumly in the back seat. We pulled into the hospital and I noted a very shiny, very expensive, black Mercedes in the parking lot. Great. A rich doctor, just what I wanted. How much were my parents paying to have him talk to me. Was he a shrink or a GP? I climbed out of the car and my 'mother' pulled me along.

"Excuse me, we're here to see Dr. Cullen." She told the receptionist. Cullen... why was that name familiar? I was then dragged down a hall, to an empty ward. Dr. Cullen's office was to the left. My 'parents' knocked and I heard a velvety voice call "Come in." I froze, sniffing the air. There it was; vampire. The door was opened, before I had a chance to move. The blonde haired man looked up from a notepad and I heard his intake of breath as he saw me. His eyes were a strange gold colour that I hadn't seen before. I stood, frozen to the spot, until my 'mother' got angry.

"Sarah Louise Fitzroy..." she began. I walked in slowly, sitting down in the chair across from him. He seemed to get over his shock.

"Hello Sarah. My name is Doctor Carlisle Cullen. You can call me Carlisle." He nodded to me. I sat, unmoving and he turned to the humans. "Perhaps it would be better if you two weren't here." He smiled apologetically. Within ten seconds my parents were gone. Carlisle turned to me.

"Hello. This is a surprise. I was expecting a bulimic teenager, not a vampire trying to be human."

"Expect the unexpected." I quoted. He laughed. "I don't want to leave, but I don't want to fight, so I don't know how this is going to-"

"Leave? Fight? What are you on about?"

"You intend to live here. With a coven several strong, I have no choice but to leave. I don't want to get in your way, but I don't want to leave them." I nodded my head towards the door. Carlisle seemed intensely confused by the comment. After composing his thoughts he answered confidently.

"We will not make you go anywhere. As the head of the coven I can promise you that. If you don't want us in your territory, we can relocate, however there is something different about us that you should probably learn. If you will join us later on tonight?" he asked. I nodded. He sat down across from me, smiling again. "I am curious though. We looked around for evidence of an inhuman presence and found no killings or missing persons within a hundred mile radius. Where do you hunt?"

"I have never gone further than Seattle. That is a long explanation that is perhaps better shown than spoken of, and it would take much longer than we have." I smiled in response. Perhaps this wouldn't go too badly.

"Another thing... how do you explain your eyes?"

"Sarah used to wear glasses. I claimed I got coloured contacts. I never let my eyes get too black, so it's convincing enough." Carlisle frowned at the referral to myself in the third person, but he seemed to realise that it would be too long a conversation.

"Now for my other problem. I'm bulimic with no hope of return, what can we do about it?" I asked casually throwing my legs over the side of the chair. He frowned in thought, although he was still smiling.

"How about this; You have a stomach problem, eating too much food per day upsets it. I suggest a breakfast and lunch, and a vitamin pill for dinner."

"I'll have my fruit at lunch and fake my breakfast as usual. Sounds good. Can we eat vitamin pills?" I asked. He laughed again.

"Yes. They don't do anything, they dissolve into the blood that we drink, so it ends up going through our system anyway."

My 'parents' were called back in and they were told my sad story. Carlisle was very convincing. His eyes never left me as he spoke, probably trying to guess my age, my story, my feeding habits. My eyes never left the humans. They were worried, but grateful. After my appointment I had my pill and did my homework, calling Angela, to tell her what was apparently wrong with me. She was concerned at first, but I told her I was fine.

I was anxious actually. I was about to go and meet a house full of vampires who claimed they didn't want to fight. My wig was itching, but I kept it on, waiting impatiently for the darkness to engulf the town.


	2. Edward Cullen

CPOV

A vampire. A vampire was being dragged into my office by two humans. She looked like their daughter, perhaps she had recently been changed? Impossible, no newborn could stand that closely to a human. Her eyes were burgundy, indicating her feeding style, yet she seemed attached to the humans who pulled her in here.

"Hello Sarah. My name is Doctor Carlisle Cullen. You can call me Carlisle." She didn't move, her eyes darted to her parents though and I turned to them. "Perhaps it would be better if you two weren't here." They left swiftly. I looked back at the girl. She was almost crouched, as if she wanted to but was fighting it.

"Hello. This is a surprise. I was expecting a bulimic teenager, not a vampire trying to be human." I tried to lighten the mood.

"Expect the unexpected." She said wryly, making me laugh, however she continued. "I don't want to leave, but I don't want to fight, so I don't know how this is going to-"

"Leave? Fight? What are you on about?" I stopped her.

"You intend to live here. With a coven several strong, I have no choice but to leave. I don't want to get in your way, but I don't want to leave them." She thought we were here to encroach on her territory? She was worried about leaving her parents though, proving that she was much different to the usual of our kind. I looked her straight in the eyes.

"We will not make you go anywhere. As the head of the coven I can promise you that. If you don't want us in your territory, we can relocate, however there is something different about us that you should probably learn. If you will join us later on tonight?" She nodded. I sat, sensing a long explanation. "I am curious though. We looked around for evidence of an inhuman presence and found no killings or missing persons within a hundred mile radius. Where do you hunt?"

"I have never gone further than Seattle. That is a long explanation that is perhaps better shown than spoken of, and it would take much longer than we have." I had thought so. Another question flung itself out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"Another thing... how do you explain your eyes?"

"Sarah used to wear glasses. I claimed I got coloured contacts. I never let my eyes get too black, so it's convincing enough." Sarah? Was she or was she not Sarah? She interrupted my ponderings.

At her added question about ingesting vitamin pills I had to laugh. It was a silly question considering the fact that she 'ate' every day. While I explained the cover story to her parents I studied her. Her hair wasn't real. Vampires could see minute differences like that, whereas humans couldn't. Her posture was pretend casual, she was trying to make it look like she was comfortable, but the discomfort didn't seem to be coming from her proximity to humans, but rather her proximity to me.

This would be a long night. After they left, I had another three hours to wait, until I could drive home and tell my family. I arrived home and, unsurprisingly, the family was assembled in the dining room. I sat, folding my hands.

_How much do they know?_ I asked Edward.

"Nothing. Alice only told us that you wanted us here."

And so I began describing my encounter. They were as confused as I was. Edward added the fact that Sarah must've seen us, as she skipped all afternoon after catching a glimpse of what we were.

"Can you hear her thoughts?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"I haven't heard anything to hint towards a presence in the town. I usually pick up our kind very clearly, but I've got nothing, just like..." he stopped and growled. "Just like the vampire who wrecked my Volvo." I sighed.

"If that is the case, I'm sure there is an explanation, she doesn't seem like the malicious type." Edward composed himself, although I suspected Jasper helped. Esme was more curious than anything.

We all sat, waiting for night to bring us the answers to the mystery that was Sarah Louise Fitzroy.

BPOV

I waited until I was sure my parents were asleep, then I picked up Mouse and jumped out of my window. He was my excuse if they found me missing. I was walking Mouse. Mouse however was fast asleep in my arms. I ran to the hospital, then followed his scent trail. It was faint and difficult at first and I had no idea where it was leading, until I remembered Sarah showing me an old white house with a wall made entirely of glass. That had to be it; isolated, spacious. I arrived outside and heard seven sets of lungs inside.

"Honey, I'm home." I muttered under my breath. Seven people got up at that point and the front door was opened for me. I lay Mouse on the ground, he was still asleep and, dusting off the dog hair, made my way into the house. I stared determinedly at the floor, and I pulled off my fake hair, tucking it into my coat pocket. My brown curls bounced down around my shoulders and I hid behind my wall of hair.

"Sarah?"

"Bella. Isabella Swan." I said, my British accent sounding almost unfamiliar to me, I hadn't been Bella for a while. "And that hunk of drugged up fur out there is my dog, Mouse."

"You're from my home country." Carlisle responded in the same accent.

"Yes. I am. But I live here now." I sighed and looked up at Carlisle who was smiling, completely at ease. I looked around at the other coven members and they introduced themselves.

"Alice."

"Emmett."

"Rosalie."

"Jasper."

"Esme."

"Edward." When I saw Edward a flash of anger whipped through me. This was the maniac who had almost killed my dog. I punched him, glad that he was within my arm's reach. A sound like a gunshot echoed through the house and suddenly I was on the floor, pinned beneath Jasper. I didn't move. I had done what I wanted. I was calm, and satisfied. Jasper sensed this and began to ease up a little.

"Sorry. He deserved it." I explained. The next thing I knew, Alice was offering me her hand. I used it to right myself, noting that she was laughing.

"I what?"

"The reason Mouse is drugged is, you, Edward, nearly killed him the other day, I broke his leg, trying to protect him from your fast moving Volvo." Edward's mouth fell open and I could tell he was about to say something truly provocative, when Esme stepped in between us.

"Please, I don't want any mess right now." I heard a low whimpering and ran out to Mouse, where he was attempting to walk to me. I picked him up, cradling him as I brought him inside. I sat on an empty couch, keeping him draped over my legs as I whispered comforts into his ear.

"It's okay, Mousy. You'll be okay, don't move."

"What's wrong?"

"Only the leg, but it still hurts him, even with the pain pills." I was now pinned to the couch, by a sleeping dog. The family all entered the room, sitting near us. We were all silent for a minute.

"Bella?" Carlisle began. "What...how..." he seemed unsure how to start.

"I'll start. I was born in 1988 in Essex, England. My parents, Renee and Charlie are still there, still living in the same house. I grew up, talking every day with my cousin, phone, email, webcam, we were practically inseparable. Her name was Sarah Fitzroy and she lived in Forks. She grew up here, with her parents and we looked identical. Every summer we would get together, be it in London, or here, and we would trade clothes and hide our hair under our hoods. That was the only visible difference between us. She had straight red hair, I had curly brown. We could practically read each other's minds.

"On the first summer vacation that I was allowed to come to Forks on my own to visit Sarah, I was attacked. A vampire, James was his name, began feeding on me, when his angry mate stepped in. They fought and left, completely forgetting I was there. Sarah had been my shadow for the week and yet hadn't seen me go missing. They put out a search party, but when Sarah found me, it was too late. I had been awake for a grand total of ten minutes when she stumbled into the clearing. I...." I broke off, realising that I was shaking and breathing deeply and erratically. Mouse was looking woefully up at me. None of the Cullens were speaking, or even breathing. I continued my story, through gritted teeth.

"The last thing she saw, was her best friend, sucking the blood from her neck." My eyes closed at this point as I remembered the day. "When I close my eyes, I can see her face, hear her voice calling my name in fear and confusion."

After a few more deep breaths I continued.

"I wrote a note, in her handwriting, telling her parents that I had left, taking a flight back to the UK. Fortunately, the flight I had mentioned, crashed within the hour. My parents believe I am dead. I was sickened by what I had become and I tried starving myself. I didn't feed, for nearly a year." Everyone in the room held their throats, simply imagining the pain. It was hard to go for a few months without attacking the nearest human, let alone a year.

"During that time. I bought a wig, practiced talking like her, practiced dancing a little, until finally, I went home to her family. I told them I had run away because Bella had died. Mouse knew that I was different, he knew that I wasn't Sarah, but he still loved me. I became her, I didn't want them to know the pain of losing a loved one, the pain I would've caused them. Sarah was a straight A student, so I followed suit. She was a fantastic dancer, who always showed me what she was working on, so I knew all about her routines and her dancing life. I told her friends that I needed time to get over Bella's death. Of all of my...her friends, Angela was the most understanding. The only discernible difference, was I was prettier than her, and I wore 'coloured contacts'."

I looked up at them, to see Esme and Jasper looking sad. The rest looked grave. Alice pushed for more.

"You didn't abstain though, from hunting."

"I couldn't. But I did figure out how I was changed... the venom... so I knew that I didn't want to bite my victims. I... I kind of developed a new way of hunting. It works better if you feed weekly, it's easier to control the impulses. The first few times I fed I found it hard not to kill, but I managed. Sarah's shocked face would always appear, when I began losing control or something." The family still looked confused.

"I don't understand. You don't eat like we do, and you claim not to kill." Edward said.

"What do you mean? Eat like we do?"

"Answer me first." He retorted.

"It'll be easier to show you. Explaining is difficult. It will take at least an hour, if I'm efficient, and if you're quiet and out of the way." They all looked hesitant.

"I promise to you, on Mouse's life I will not kill. I have only ever killed once. Not counting the fish I owned as a human." This got a smile out of Carlisle and Alice.

"I don't need to go. That was fascinating." Alice said. "I'll stay here and look after Mouse. Will that be okay Bella?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain it when you get back." She promised. I had no reason to trust any of them, but I did anyway. I nodded and handed Mouse over to her.

"Um, first I need to change, light pink won't help my efforts. Um, meet me at the Bella Italia in Port Angeles? Don't go inside, just wait for me there. You may as well run, you'll get there quicker." I told them then ran home to change.

In my black leggings, shoes, gloves and hooded sweater I jumped out of the window and began running, fast, towards Port Angeles. I fingered the knife and mask in my pocket as I ran. When I got to Bella Italia they were waiting, ready, interested. I nodded to them and then tied the mask to my face, pulling the knife out of my pocket. I bowed to them and then stepped into the shadows. To humans I had literally vanished, however the vampires could see me. I twisted around a back street and found my first victim. A strong male, about to step into his car. I quickly knocked him on the head, letting him fall into my arms, unconscious. I slit his skin open on the inside of his elbow and pressed my mouth to the open wound. One, two, three sips later and I lay him down, opening his wallet and stealing the money he had in there. Not much, about two hundred. I then moved swiftly amongst the streets until I found my second victim. Nothing mattered much. I almost forgot the fact that six vampires were watching me. I had no idea where they were, but when the wind blew correctly I could smell them. I followed the scents of my victims, attacking four, when I decided I had had enough. I unzipped the hoodie, showing my white tank top and, after licking the knife, hid that in my pocket, along with the mask. I walked into the street, standing casually under a streetlight.

Carlisle jumped down from a building above me, followed by Jasper, Edward and Emmett. Rosalie and Esme came from the totally opposite direction. They all came to stand around me.

"So how do you like my hunting style? Don't worry, all the money goes to charity." I added.

"Why bother?" Rosalie snapped, motioning towards the pocket full of bills.

"What kind of a mugger doesn't steal anything? It's no different to taking a pint of blood for a blood drive. I don't kill anyone, though it gets close occasionally."

"How old are you again?"

"I've been a vampire for about a year and a half."

"You've been feeding like this for a full six months, with no casualties?"

"Yes. However, believe me when I say it is impossible to stop. Only what I did to Sarah stops me once I begin feeding." They didn't say another word, but they were all staring at me, with respect and awe, except Edward who looked more like he had been watching paint dry: completely bored.

We ran home then. As soon as I got into the house I checked that Mouse was okay. If anything I was worried about Alice. She looked thirsty. I suddenly figured out what they drank from and snatched Mouse away.

"Animals?" I asked horrified, trying not to jostle Mouse. The others arrived.

"Not dogs and cats. Wolves, bears, deer, elk, lion, large mammals." Emmett said, grinning goofily.

"You kill animals?"

"Better than killing humans." Alice pointed out.

"But is it better than what I do?" I asked. They all looked at each other, contemplating. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go home, I have school to get ready for." And I ran. I would most likely see them tomorrow, during school. At lunch and whoever was in my Biology class. Which was better? Killing animals, or taking pints of blood from humans? Were they both equal, neither being good?


	3. Isabella Swan

EPOV

I was still trying in vain to hear her thoughts, she was as blank as a sheet of paper.

"Honey, I'm home." We heard her mutter from outside. Esme got up, we followed and she opened the front door.

_She brought a dog?_

As she stepped into the house she removed the wig and her beautiful brown hair tumbled around her shoulders. She ducked her head, hiding behind her hair.

"Sarah?" Carlisle asked.

"Bella. Isabella Swan." She interrupted, in a British accent that I recognised from Carlisle. "And that hunk of drugged up fur out there is my dog, Mouse."

_She's from southeast London area. My old town. She is a mystery. _Carlisle.

_She's pretty. Oh Edward? Duck. _Alice.

_She's scared, I'll try and calm her down a little._ Jasper.

"You're from my home country." Carlisle responded in the same accent.

"Yes. I am. But I live here now." She looked at Carlisle and then to us, for introductions. I was standing more behind her than the others and when she finally turned to me, she attacked. She punched hard and fast.

Jasper pinned her easily. Emmett was crouched also, but Alice was laughing.

_Edward got punched, by a girl!_

Emmett realised this too and soon he and Alice were both chanting it.

"Sorry. He deserved it." Alice pulled her to her feet.

"I what?" I couldn't remember ever meeting the girl, unless she was the one who destroyed my Volvo, in which case, I owed her a punch.

"The reason Mouse is drugged is, you, Edward, nearly killed him the other day, I broke his leg, trying to protect him from your fast moving Volvo."

A dog? That dog? She crushed my car for that dog? And she thought _I_ deserved the punch. I opened my mouth to tell her that when Esme stepped between us.

"Please, I don't want any mess right now."_Edward, she is here, as a guest, she's frightened enough as is, surrounded by a large coven who are living in her territory. Be considerate._

The dog, Mouse, whimpered and she disappeared. She picked him up, cradling him as she brought him inside. She sat on Emmett's couch, keeping the dog on her lap as she whispered into his ear.

"It's okay, Mousy. You'll be okay, don't move."

"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked.

"Only the leg, but it still hurts him, even with the pain pills." We all went into the room, I hovered by the doorway, still uncomfortable with the fact that I couldn't sense her. I stared at her instead. She was wearing a light pink shirt, jeans and a white sweater. She was quite beautiful and her burgundy eyes shone with concern for the dog. Never had I seen one of our kind so attached to an animal.

"Bella?" Carlisle began. "What...how..." he faltered, not wanting to be too pushy.

She began her story. I had never heard a story told with such pain that she was showing now. Jasper was complaining, mentally about the pain, he tried to ease it, but she was feeling it far too strongly. Her body began to shake and her breathing was laboured. She finished the story through her teeth, her eyes closed in remembrance and pain. We had all stopped moving and slowed our breathing, listening to her and Mouse's heartbeat and fast lungs.

"I don't understand. You don't eat like we do, and you claim not to kill." I clarified.

"What do you mean? Eat like we do?"

"Answer me first." I countered.

"It'll be easier to show you. Explaining is difficult. It will take at least an hour, if I'm efficient, and if you're quiet and out of the way." My family did not want to bear witness to a murder, even if it was done cleanly.

"I promise to you, on Mouse's life I will not kill. I have only ever killed once. Not counting the fish I owned as a human."

_She doesn't seem the type to lie._ Carlisle.

_No dishonest feelings or guilt, so I believe her._ Jasper.

"I don't need to go. That was fascinating." Alice said. "I'll stay here and look after Mouse. Will that be okay Bella?" _ You are going to be shocked Edward, in a good way though. I'm not letting you see anything so don't even try._

"What do you mean?" she asked Alice.

"I'll explain it when you get back." Bella nodded and handed Mouse over to Alice. It looked almost comical, such a large dog in tiny Alice's arms.

"Um, first I need to change, light pink won't help my efforts. Um, meet me at the Bella Italia in Port Angeles? Don't go inside, just wait for me there. You may as well run, you'll get there quicker." And then she ran off. She was fast, I'd admit. Possibly as fast as me. When she left, the argument began.

"I don't want to go. She's disgusting." Rosalie said instantly.

"She is responsible for destroying my Volvo, and hitting me without accord."

"Do you ever give anyone permission to hit you though?" Emmett asked. "I want to go. She's young and all alone."

"She is kind and trusting, a rarity amongst vampires, especially new ones. I do not believe she has dishonourable intentions." Carlisle said.

"It's in my instinct to try and protect her. As Emmett pointed out, she is very much alone, and obviously has not had much contact with our kind. If she indeed did refrain from feeding for so long, perhaps she is worth trying to befriend. I could see the uncertainty as she sat here. She told us, a family of unknown, stronger vampires, her story."

I could see her point. She had placed her trust in us, we ought to do the same.

"You'll all love it, well not love but... you know." Alice said, still stroking Mouse.

"We should leave." Jasper pointed out.

So we all ran, fast. We knew the restaurant. We were waiting for about ten second when she appeared. She was wearing all black and looked oddly like a mugger. She nodded to us and pulled out a black mask and knife. She bowed theatrically and began running. We followed her. She seemed perfectly at ease, until she found her first victim. I expected her to crouch, to run up from behind and initiate the kill, but instead she ran, at human pace to the guy, coming at him from the side. He caught a glimpse of her before she knocked him out. Laying him on the ground, she slit into his arm with the knife and then pressed her mouth to the wound. After merely a second she pulled away. It could hardly have been a pint. And then I understood.

She moved on to her next victims and we retreated to watching above. Rosalie and Esme chose to continue following her though. She was so graceful, so practiced she looked as though she had been doing this for years. After only four 'feedings' she stopped, pulling off her mask and unzipping her sweater. She was leaning against a streetlight when we jumped down. Her skin, although pallid looked slightly flushed.

"So how do you like my hunting style? Don't worry, all the money goes to charity." I added.

"Why bother?" Rosalie snapped, motioning towards the pocket full of bills.

"What kind of a mugger doesn't steal anything?" Bella asked, as if it were obvious. "It's no different to taking a pint of blood for a blood drive. I don't kill anyone, though it gets close occasionally."

"How old are you again?"

"I've been a vampire for about a year and a half."

"You've been feeding like this for a full six months, with no casualties?"

"Yes. However, believe me when I say it is impossible to stop. Only what I did to Sarah stops me once I begin feeding."

I tried to look impassive, or bored at the least, I didn't like her, so I felt no need to place her on the high pedestal right now. We ran home then. When we got inside, Alice looked hungry.

_Good. I was wondering if you'd ever come back._

The light seemed to click on then, as Bella realised what we hunted.

"Animals?"

"Not dogs and cats. Wolves, bears, deer, elk, lion, large mammals." Emmett said, grinning goofily.

"You kill animals?"

"Better than killing humans." Alice pointed out.

"But is it better than what I do?"

We had no answer for that. Killing, or simply stealing what wasn't needed? We would hardly have the control to feed like her though, not without making mistakes. She seemed to realise we weren't going to say anything. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go home, I have school to get ready for." And she disappeared.

I went upstairs to my room, dreading the following school day. I would no doubt be forced to talk to her. I put on Metallica again; I was still mourning the loss of my car. But I could hear what everyone was thinking if not what they were saying.

_She's extraordinary._

_She left before we got a chance to tell her our story. Perhaps tomorrow night._

_Bella will be here quite often Edward, you'll have to get over this aversion to her._

"You'll have to get over this aversion to her." I mimicked, in a tone and voice sounding identical to Alice's. I was being childish, I knew that, but I had never before been so attached to a car, and then been forced to accept it's destroyer with wide arms.

As I sat listening to the too loud and distorted guitar, I began to ponder what way was better? If you had the control to do it, why wouldn't you? The animals would be left in peace, at least from us, and the humans would perhaps be a little more submissive if they were frightened. I couldn't think too deeply, as I was very angry. Angry at Bella... or so I assumed at the time.

BPOV

When I pulled into the parking lot I saw their car. It was a red convertible, a flashy looking thing. I sighed and quickly went to my first class. At lunch I decided to sit with Angela, ignoring the protests of Alice who was looking like a sad puppy.

"Have you made some friends?"

"What do you mean?" I asked Angela.

"Well the new girl, Alice I think, is looking at you like you've promised to take her on an all paid shopping spree, and then told her you forgot you made the promise."

"What a weird analogy."

"You're avoiding the question."

"Yes."

"Yes you're avoiding the question or yes you've made new friends?"

"Since when does the mime push for information?" I teased her about her shyness all the time. She might as well not have a voice on regular days.

"Since the mime is also getting death glares from Alice's brother."

My head whipped to the table and sure enough, Edward was glaring. He wasn't glaring at Angela though, she just happened to be in the line of fire. I winced and opened my mouth to explain. She shook it off.

"I'm going to rehearse. I have a free period next and need the practice." Angela said, pulling away from the table to head to the gym. I took one look at Edward and his death glare and decided to join her. We got changed swiftly and began stretching. Angela began working on her solo.

Angela was quite a unique person; she rarely spoke and never was it anything bad, she was shy to an extreme when introduced to new people, and yet, put her in a pair of dance shoes and she was as confident as Madonna. Her dance number involved moves that looked more like they belonged in a stripper's club than a school, but it fit the music perfectly. Angela pulled it off well, but the ending didn't quite fit.

"I don't know what's wrong." She said, breathing heavily, restarting the song and pausing it. "I can't seem to get the end. I wish the school would put up mirrors. It would be so much easier to see what I needed to fix." She lay on the cool floor with her eyes closed.

"I'll do it." I muttered. She looked up, surprised. "Don't get your hopes up. I'll dance ONCE and then you have to fix it." Angela had been hoping for a partner, but I was uncomfortable with the style. She hit play and I mirrored her moves from the dance, twisting, turning, grinding and sliding in a beautifully coordinated dance. I immediately knew when I got to the shaky ending. The moves weren't quite as confident, and I couldn't help myself, I changed them. I could see Angela's watchful and criticizing gaze. She was memorizing the changes and approving or disapproving the moves. When the song and the dance came to an end I slowly turned to face her.

She was ecstatic.

"I love it. Can I change the second-"

"It's your dance. Change what you want. I'm here to help you." I turned towards the changerooms and saw five people watching my performance. If I could've blushed I would've. Alice and Rosalie were approving, Emmett and Jasper looked a little 'excited' despite their mates not being the ones dancing. Edward was watching me with an impassively bored expression. It was then that I realised I wanted his approval more than any of them, which was absurd. He offered no comment, when the others were praising. They all stayed to watch the dance also. I sat and watched Angela as she copied the moves I'd changed. It looked damn good and she changed the ending slightly, making it look damn good. If Ben had been there...

Angela like-liked Ben, Ben like-liked Angela, but both of them were far too shy to ask each other out. I would have to play match-maker in the near future, maybe hook them up in time for prom. The bell rang and I cursed under my breath, running, human pace to the changerooms. I changed vampire speed and ran, slightly too fast, to biology, where I entered just in time. The bell rang as I stepped through the door. I froze. Of all the Cullens... I ended up with him.

I took my seat beside Edward, trying to avoid his gaze, it wasn't hard. As soon as he saw where I was sitting, he stared determinedly out of the window. I tried to make it look like I was barely aware of his presence, but it was difficult. Sitting so close to him, I couldn't help but notice things.

He smelled beautiful, it was a very pleasing scent, he was dressed casually, yet he wore the clothes with elegance. His skin was like all the others, pale, cold, yet there seemed to be a sheen about his. His posture and gentle mannerisms were definitely from an earlier era. I wondered just how old they all were. I imagined Carlisle as the oldest, though there was something about Jasper that made me suspect him. We were asked to open our textbooks and I realised that I, in my haste, still had the books from my morning classes, not my afternoon classes. Edward slid his textbook over slightly, looking almost as if he did it by accident. I smiled; he was helping me, without helping me. That was the last move he made to even acknowledge my existence. I eventually gave up trying to listen to the teacher and slid a note to him.

Edward? I am sorry about your car. Can I offer to repay you? I have thirteen thousand saved up, from my 'exploits'. I know it won't cover the total cost, but give me some more time and I should be able to get a decent amount saved up.

I placed the note in front of him. He looked down at it, his head not moving a fraction of an inch. He sighed and wrote a response.

You don't need to do that. I have enough to buy the car thirty times over, simply stashed in my room.

He relaxed a little, but didn't move other than that. I took it as an 'almost apology'. After the class ended he dashed off. I went to gym, my day seeming slightly brighter. I got home, made my 'parents' dinner and did my homework. All I had left, was to wait until night fell and I could go and visit my new acquaintances.

The instant they were asleep I bolted to the Cullen's house, not even bothering to change out of my pyjamas. When I got to just outside the porch a small someone knocked me backwards in a gigantic hug. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Alice! We barely know each other!" I laughed, although I had a feeling we were going to be good friends, she was just a likeable person. Her mate, Jasper pulled her off, shaking his head and I picked myself up, noting that my pyjamas were now dirty. I took one look at Jasper and decided not to ask for a wrestling match, instead I had a very childish idea.

"Oh my gosh! I love it! Just let me get the rest of them! Yes even you Edward!" Alice yelled and disappeared. Jasper looked inquiringly at me. I could tell he was very – not comfortable, but accepting – of the situation. He was stronger, more experienced, had a family of fighters to protect him, not to mention that whenever I was near him I instantly relaxed.

"What is it about you?" I asked. "I'm always relaxed, even though I should be nervous."

He laughed. "I have a gift, I can change people's emotions, sense them and copy them onto others, feel them as if they were my own. It's unique."

I arched my eyebrow sceptically and he grinned. Suddenly there was no point to the world. I was extremely sad, I was upset about the weather, my clothes, the conversation. Just as suddenly I was ecstatic, practically bouncing with joy. When I returned to my normal state; slightly curious and happy, I smiled sheepishly up at him.

"I believe you now." This had him smiling.

The others were all around us now, even Edward, who looked more bored and ticked off than I'd ever seen him.

"Bella has had a wonderful idea. The boundaries are: La Push, obviously, and you cannot go past the clearing in the north, or Port Angeles. It's gonna be Jasper and Carlisle against everyone else. Anything goes, no rules except: to make it fairer, at exactly midnight, you must freeze where you are, for a half hour. If you remain unfound, you can find a new hiding spot. This will go on until everyone has been found, or until sunrise."

"What exactly are we playing?"

"Hide and Seek." Alice smiled. She threw me a watch and I realised everyone else already had one. She nodded her head and we all flew off in different directions. I knew exactly the place I wanted to hide. Water was awfully good at concealing scents anyway.


	4. Hide and Seek

EPOV

The school was still buzzing with gossip about us. At lunch I sat down at an empty table, being joined by my family. Alice left a spot for Bella. It was like she was already a part of the messed up family. Thanks to her, my favourite car was gone and I was still being teased by Emmett. But her hunting style... it made me think. Could I do such a thing? Which one was more correct? Killing animals, barely sentient, or stealing from humans? When the pale 'redhead' walked into the lunchroom, I felt Alice wave to her. Part of me wanted her to sit with us, why? I despised the girl. As if to add another reason, she ignored Alice and sat with her friend. Angela was a surprisingly kind girl in an era filled with menace and dishonesty. I heard her thoughts before her voice.

_Okay he's kind of creeping me out. I should ask Sarah. _"Have you made some friends?"

"What do you mean?" Bella asked back.

"Well the new girl, Alice I think, is looking at you like you've promised to take her on an all paid shopping spree, and then told her you forgot you made the promise." I glanced at Alice and she did indeed look like that.

"What a weird analogy."

"You're avoiding the question." _Why?_

"Yes."

"Yes you're avoiding the question or yes you've made new friends?" _Sarah, when will you learn to trust me?_

"Since when does the mime push for information?"

"Since the mime is also getting death glares from Alice's brother." _I suppose I do sound silly._

Bella's eyes met mine briefly. She winced, slightly angry from what I could see. She turned to talk to Angela again, only to be interrupted.

"I'm going to rehearse. I have a free period next and need the practice."

Bella glared at me and left with her.

"Edward!" Alice scorned.

"What?"

"You are such an idiot. Come on. We have to find her and apologize."

"Angela isn't scared of me, Alice you don't have to-"

"Not Angela, Sarah. You've been nothing but rude to her since-"

"Since she hit you." Emmett put in, laughing.

I slowly, with much mental coaxing and scorning agreed, and we all headed to the gym. I did not expect to see what I did.

Angela was lying on the floor, propped up on her elbows, watching Bella/Sarah, who was dancing. The way her graceful body sinuously moved was incredibly... appeasing. She lithely jumped, twisted and danced, to a sensual song, while I heard nothing but erotic thoughts from my brothers.

_Moves like that should be illegal._

_Damn, she's sexy. Why can't Alice take up dancing?_

Alice was happy, watching Bella and Rosalie was even intrigued by the dance routine Bella was performing. Angela was ecstatic.

_She could so pull of this type of dancing. If only she'd partner up with someone. My dance routine definitely needed that change. Sarah is a genius. I only hope that someday I'll be half as good as her._ Bella's moves slowed and she stopped when the song ended. I could hear her increased breathing and was impressed by her devotion to appearing normal.

"I love it. Can I change the second-"

"It's your dance. Change what you want. I'm here to help you."

I couldn't explain it at the time, but I wanted her to dance again. I didn't care what routine, but I wanted to see her move. She had captured my attention so thoroughly.

_That doesn't feel quite like hate to me. More like... longing._ Jasper's thoughts made me snap out of my mesmerized state. I glared at him and changed my expression to bored as I saw Bella look at us. My brethren offered praises while I stood, not trusting myself with words. What would I say? I don't think I hate you anymore? Bella turned and sat, watching Angela go over the same routine. Although it was Angela's dance, she did not have the same fluidity that Bella did and she did not appeal to me as Bella had.

When the first bell rang, Bella ran to the changerooms and I headed off to biology, thinking about my thought patterns. I was infinitely glad that I was the mind reader, still Jasper had to be wrong....right? Bella stepped through the door, just as the second bell rang. Why me? I glanced around the room, taking in the fact that the seat beside me was the only vacant one. Technically she had been here before me, but I still felt that it was my space she was intruding on. As she sat beside me, I had the overwhelming urge to try and talk to her, to tell her that she had looked fantastic while dancing. I stared out at the school parking lot instead.

With her sitting so close to me, I couldn't help but notice things. She had a beautiful scent, freesia or something similar, and she wore no makeup. She was dressed simply, clothes that had most likely been Sarah's and fitted well, but not perfectly. Her soft curves were beautiful and I wished I could see her thick mahogany hair once more. The red wig was quite obvious, now that I knew it was a wig, but her hair was perfectly concealed beneath it. Her nails were not long like Rosalie's or short like Alice's, but very natural looking. She was quite stunning. Not that I'd ever admit it.

She had forgotten her textbook. Being the gentleman I was born and bred I inched my book closer to hers, casually as if by accident; I still disliked her for destroying my car. I blinked at my thought process. When had I moved from hate to dislike? My brain was interrupted by a piece of paper being placed on the desk beside me.

Edward? I am sorry about your car. Can I offer to repay you? I have thirteen thousand saved up, from my 'exploits'. I know it won't cover the total cost, but give me some more time and I should be able to get a decent amount saved up.

I read it, barely moving. I considered telling her where she could shove the thirteen thousand, then decided to be polite instead. What could I write in return? I should probably apologize for nearly killing her dog, Mouse thing. I sighed as I kept my answer short.

You don't need to do that. I have enough to buy the car thirty times over, simply stashed in my room.

After school I did my homework straight out. I never did that. My siblings looked at me curiously. I was simply impatient and needed something to do. While waiting for night to fall, I went to my room and listened to half a dozen CD's. They were in no order, just randomly pulled from the stacks – something I also never did. I would usually listen according to my mood, well clearly my mood was chaotic, as was my music choice. When Alice finally said she was coming, I nearly jumped from the couch to see her, nearly. Jasper felt the rush of emotion.

_Ooh. Anticipation overload. You want to see her again Edward?_

I growled in response, turning my music up louder.

"Alice! We barely know each other!" I heard her laugh.

_That would be so fun! I love Bella already! Ack! I will have to totally change her wardrobe though._

"Oh my gosh! I love it! Just let me get the rest of them! Yes even you Edward!"

Alice was busy asking the others to join the game, whatever it was we were playing.

"C'mon. You now have to make Edward come too." Before I knew what was happening, my family was around me.

"Edward, she is our guest. Put this hostility behind you."

"Just have some fun. Loosen up a little."

"No." After a few snide comments from Rosalie, about how I was too in love with isolation to grace them with my presence, and some puppy-dog eyes from Alice. I agreed. Seeing her again, even in dirty pyjamas, was nice. She looked excited, though about what Alice still wouldn't tell me.

"Bella has had a wonderful idea. The boundaries are: La Push, obviously, and you cannot go past the clearing in the north, or Port Angeles. It's gonna be Jasper and Carlisle against everyone else. Anything goes, no rules except: to make it fairer, at exactly midnight, you must freeze where you are, for a half hour. If you remain unfound, you can find a new hiding spot. This will go on until everyone has been found, or until sunrise."

"What exactly are we playing?" Carlisle asked.

"Hide and Seek." Alice smiled. I knew exactly the place I wanted to hide. Water was awfully good at concealing scents.

I ran to the clearing, aware that I had half a minute to try and mask my scent and get to my meadow. The stream ran down from here into the woods and my meadow. I jumped from the woods, soaring a good hundred feet, landing in the stream. I began following it down, appearing at my meadow in just the nick of time. What I wasn't expecting was falling backwards into the stream, completely soaking my trousers, and hearing a similar splash, a millisecond after mine.

"Shit." I heard the melodious voice curse. I looked straight into an also soaked Bella. She had landed completely in the water instead of half though. We both stood and she rung out her brown curls. Her white pyjama shirt clung to her chest, her breasts and belly button were very visible. I averted my eyes, before she could catch me looking. She started up to go elsewhere, still cursing.

"I wouldn't if I were you."

"Excuse me?"

"Alice will know, and she will punish you for breaking the rules. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she saw this and made the time and rules specifically because we would end up in the same spot." Bella looked at me confusedly.

"Sorry? How will Alice know?"

"Alice can see visions of future events. Her precognition helps to keep us all out of the sunshine, or be ready to play baseball, because she can predict thunderstorms. She can see things that will happen, based on the decisions others make. As soon as I heard that we were playing hide and seek, I chose to come here. She must've seen you choosing the same thing and clearly set the rules to give us a nice half hour together." I was rambling.

"The future. Wonderful." Bella looked at me, the watch and then around, obviously trying to judge whether she could make a run for it.

"I wouldn't. Alice can be... frightening. She will torture you, mentally, emotionally and occasionally physically. You will wish you were dead before she's done."

"Newsflash: I _am_ dead." She retorted, but sat down in the meadow anyway. I stood, still in the stream, unsure of what to do. The water soaking into my shoes was an unpleasant feeling, so I clambered out of the stream and sat a few feet from her, facing her. We sat in silence, listening for Jasper or Carlisle, moving in the trees. I could hear Carlisle and I knew he was following Rosalie's scent. Jasper knew my advantages and was avoiding thinking as much as possible.

"I am sorry, again. I didn't think. I could've snatched Mouse out of the way, without stopping your car, but it was so close, I wanted to be sure I wouldn't hurt him." She started.

"You don't need to apologize. In fact, I believe I do." I said, hardly believing the words coming out of my mouth. I don't believe I had ever actually apologized. "I am... sorry... for blaming you, for treating you so harshly."

She looked at the sky, threatening rain and shrugged. Apology accepted. She sat silently again, still listening.

"I thought you said that the money went to charity." I blurted, anxious to hear her voice.

"Sorry?"

"When you showed us how you hunt, you said that the money went to charity, yet you said in your note today that you had thirteen thousand saved up from your 'exploits', so which is it?"

"Um... The money does go to charity. That is my college fund. I had nothing else to offer you and I was sure you wouldn't accept if you knew that it was my college fund." She trailed off, looking at me sheepishly. I was honoured, and felt guilty too.

"Well thank you, for offering. I can always drive the Vanquish."

"How many cars do you own?"

"Personally? Three – well two now. The Volvo, the Vanquish and the Lamborghini."

Bella whistled, shaking her head. Something occurred to her, because she lowered her voice.

"Should we really be talking? Won't they be able to hear us?"

"It's alright. Carlisle has Rose and is after Emmett right now. Jasper is trying to find Esme. I can't hear Alice at all though."

She looked at me, confused and wary again. Had I told her about my talent? Obviously not.

"I can read minds." I clarified. She hissed at me and backed off.

"You can read minds? What the hell Edward? Did you enjoy poking around in my brain?" she was obviously angry. I stood and held up my hands in surrender.

"I can't read your mind. It's one of the reasons I don't like you. Your mind is blank. It's like you don't own a brain." I added snidely.

"Depends who you ask." She retorted acidly. We stared at each other, until I cracked. I had to chuckle; it was funny how she had said it so calmly. She maintained a straight face for a few more seconds but then had to smile.

"Glad you find that funny. I was beginning to think that you didn't own a sense of humour."

"I do, I just rarely find things funny."

"Emmett must've stolen some of yours. He seems to have too much humour." She said, then sat near me. I sat too.

"He certainly keeps things interesting."

Bella looked at me curiously. I had managed to keep my eyes firmly attached to hers. She seemed to realise that something was amiss and glanced down at herself. As soon as she noticed how see-through her shirt had become, her arms crossed protectively in front of her chest. I shrugged out of my mostly dry shirt and offered it to her.

"What will you wear?"

"It's not like I can get cold." I pointed out. She gratefully slid my shirt on. I was now half naked, in the middle of my favourite meadow, with the one vampire I disliked. This wasn't exactly how I had pictured my evening. Nearly twenty minutes had passed. We had another ten before we could move again.

"How did you know where this was?" she asked.

"The meadow? I found it, about seventy years ago, on my first move to Forks. It was the one place I could get away if Esme and Carlisle wanted some time together. Rosalie and Emmett at that point had their own house, and we didn't know Alice or Jasper. I came here to read, to listen to the stream, to soak up some sunlight on those rare days." I smiled at her. "It seems that now I have another place to share. It wasn't bad enough that you've stolen Alice and Esme's hearts, now you've stolen my escape."

"I haven't stolen anything. I only found this spot recently, and if you want it you can have it. I have two more spots in Forks that I love to be in. I like your family. You're the first people to really know me for who I am. I haven't been Bella in nearly two years. It's nice to not have to pretend." She looked hurt.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not one for changes. Can you imagine how furious I was when Carlisle changed Rosalie? He meant her as a mate for me. I was angry enough when he changed Esme, even if he didn't intend to make her his wife then. A few years later, Rosalie brings home Emmett..." I drifted off, knowing I was rambling. Bella was smirking.

"You're a selfish person, to think that the world is all about what you want."

"What I want? I'm the one who's had to live with three couples for twenty years. It's bad enough that I am a vampire; the walls aren't exactly sound proof, but add on the fact I'm a mind reader! I can only block so much. I'm not voyeuristic, but too many times have I interrupted my siblings. I keep trying to leave, but I can't they are my family. They get upset when I leave."

"So here we are. We are exact opposites, you realise that?"

"How so?"

"Two completely different vampires, torturing ourselves in completely different ways about completely different issues. You don't like being a vampire, I do; I wasn't good for anything as a human, I was a klutz, I blushed a lot, I fell over non-existent dust particles. I must've broken every bone in my body by the time I was changed. I wasn't overly smart, or pretty," that was hard to believe; I found her incredibly attractive. I mused over that fact as she continued talking. "I was a mess. Now, I'm okay. I may not be able to be me most of the time, but I am okay. I like what I am now, even if it is gory and surreal. You hate it. I can tell."

I sat and thought about that for a moment.

"You torture yourself by not making yourself totally isolated. You do, sort of, but you could leave, be on your own. You could do whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted, but you don't. You choose to stay semi isolated in a house full of couples. I torture myself by keeping isolated and acting human when really I want to be with a family, who knows me, not who I'm pretending to be. I eat human food on a regular basis. I pretend to brush my teeth, to need practice, to fall over every now and then, to act tired, to be what Sarah was. It's hard, physically and mentally."

She was right. She was making so much sense. I hung onto her every word, entrapped by her very voice. She stopped and sighed.

"What a pair we make. Both trying to hide who we are and both unable to do so." She finished.

"Wise words."

"Quoted from a movie."

"Movie?"

"A Knight's Tale." She looked at me. I shrugged. "You haven't... Oh you need to get out more."

We both sat, enjoying the quiet, until I heard a faint thought.

_Smells like Edward._ It was Jasper. I jumped to my feet, grabbing Bella's hand, motioning for her to be quiet. I looked at the watch, we were free to move.

"I'll show you one of my other hideouts." She whispered and began pulling me along. We ran together, still hand in hand. I didn't want to let go. There was an amazing heat resonating from her touch. It shot up my arm. I didn't actually realise where we were going, I was just making sure no one found us. When we finally arrived I nearly laughed. She was kidding wasn't she?


	5. The 'Bat Cave'

BPOV

I ran to my meadow top speed, going upstream. I practically flew there, knowing I only had a short time before I was stuck. As I stopped I crashed into someone and fell backwards into the water.

"Shit." I stood up, only to see Edward was the one I had bumped into. I had no time left to find a different hiding spot, but there was no way I was spending half an hour with a guy who despised me. I stood and wrung out my hair, feeling my thin shirt clinging to me. I was about to leave when his velvety voice stopped me.

"I wouldn't if I were you."

"Excuse me?"

"Alice will know, and she will punish you for breaking the rules. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she saw this and made the time and rules specifically because we would end up in the same spot."

His statement made no sense.

"Sorry? How will Alice know?"

"Alice can see visions of future events. Her precognition helps to keep us all out of the sunshine, or be ready to play baseball, because she can predict thunderstorms. She can see things that will happen, based on the decisions others make. As soon as I heard that we were playing hide and seek, I chose to come here. She must've seen you choosing the same thing and clearly set the rules to give us a nice half hour together."

The last sentence sounded very sarcastic.

"The future. Wonderful." I wondered if Edwardx had any powers. I looked over his half soaked form and then at my watch, trying to judge how long it would take to get somewhere else.

"I wouldn't. Alice can be... frightening. She will torture you, mentally, emotionally and occasionally physically. You will wish you were dead before she's done." I began to picture her attacking me and was convinced into staying. Alice may be small, but she could look dangerous.

"Newsflash: I _am_ dead."

He floated out of the stream and sat a few feet away from me, facing me. We sat in silence, listening for the hunters, moving in the trees. I hated awkward silences and this was one of those times. I also still felt pretty bad about his car.

"I am sorry, again. I didn't think. I could've snatched Mouse out of the way, without stopping your car, but it was so close, I wanted to be sure I wouldn't hurt him." Edward surprised me then.

"You don't need to apologize. In fact, I believe I do. I am... sorry... for blaming you, for treating you so harshly."

I tried to shake off the fact that his apology made me feel excruciatingly happy and casually shrugged. We sat, still again, neither of us knowing what to say. I wondered idly if anyone had been found yet. When he began questioning my money motives, I almost laughed. How ridiculous he must think me! I thought to myself. He brought up the fact that he needed no money. I wondered what colour the Vanquish and the Lamborghini were and whistled, imagining the cost. I realised how loud the sound was and remembered that we were being tracked.

"Should we really be talking? Won't they be able to hear us?"

"It's alright. Carlisle has Rose and is after Emmett right now. Jasper is trying to find Esme. I can't hear Alice at all though."

How the hell would he know that?

"I can read minds." Horror shot through me. He had heard all the things I had thought about him? From my arrogance, to my longing for his approval, to my ogling over his figure? And he had the nerve to sit here casually.

"You can read minds? What the hell Edward? Did you enjoy poking around in my brain?" He stood, and I realised that I had jumped back. He held up his hands in surrender.

"I can't read your mind. It's one of the reasons I don't like you. Your mind is blank. It's like you don't own a brain." Relief filled me.

"Depends who you ask." I tried to act like I wasn't immensely relieved, but it was hard. At least my thoughts were safe. He started laughing at my comment. His laugh was so melodious, so enchanting that I had to join in, but not after taking a few seconds to memorise the sound.

"Glad you find that funny. I was beginning to think that you didn't own a sense of humour."

"I do, I just rarely find things funny."

"Emmett must've stolen some of yours. He seems to have too much humour." I sat closer to him, wishing I could touch him. I wondered how his skin felt, the only contact we had had was my fist with his nose.

"He certainly keeps things interesting."

Edward had been looking very determinedly at my face, my eyes more specifically. He hadn't even blinked since we got out of the stream. I looked down, wondering if my shirt was ripped or something, and noticed that my nipples were very visible. I crossed my arms, self-consciously over my chest and Edward pulled off his shirt handing it to me.

"What will you wear?" I asked stupidly. I wasn't sure if I could trust myself looking at his god-like chest.

"It's not like I can get cold." I slid his shirt on, inhaling the scent and pretending to adjust it, grateful that it gave my eyes something to look at other than Adonis.

"How did you know where this was?" I asked.

"The meadow? I found it, about seventy years ago, on my first move to Forks. It was the one place I could get away if Esme and Carlisle wanted some time together. Rosalie and Emmett at that point had their own house, and we didn't know Alice or Jasper. I came here to read, to listen to the stream, to soak up some sunlight on those rare days."

I wondered just how old he was. Our conversation then lead to tortore and ethics, mostly speculation, but I had obviously got it right, his expression showed nothing but absorbtion and understanding. I tried to lighten the mood, quoting from one of Ben's favourite films.

"What a pair we make. Both trying to hide who we are and both unable to do so."

"Wise words."

"Quoted from a movie."

"Movie?"

"A Knight's Tale." He shrugged. I couldn't believe he hadn't seen it. I wondered just how many other movies he hadn't seen. "You haven't... Oh you need to get out more."

Suddenly Edward jumped to his feet, grabbing my hand and pulling me up with him. He motioned for me to be quiet. He was tilting his head, listening for someone.

"I'll show you one of my other hideouts." I pulled him along, not letting go of his hand. There was a fire that burned in my skin wherever his touched me. I didn't want to let go, plus I knew the place I wanted to take him, however it did mean getting more wet, that was the beauty of the waterfall. When we stopped we were at the top of the cliff and I was ready to jump in. I looked at him and he looked back, unbelieving. He dug his feet firmly into the ground. I sighed and made it look like I was about to sit down, but I was only getting more leverage.

I yanked him over my shoulder and threw him over the edge. Because I was still holding onto his hand I followed as we both plummeted into the mass of bubbles. He glared at me from under the water and I pulled him down, deeper. He tried to object so I shrugged and let go of his hand. We were still underwater and arguing.

He looked like Apollo, his chest had bubbles from the cold water clinging to his muscles, his hair. I sighed at the sight and a stream of bubbles floated from my mouth. He was being stubborn, so I simply, curtsied, (not an easy thing to do underwater) and swam down the u-bend cave and up underneath the waterfall. I climbed out into the dark cave and lay on the cool rocky interior, hearing the muffled roar of the waterfall through the rock. A few squeaks told me that there were bats above me.

"If you don't mind, I would appreciate some warning before you throw yourself into the midst of a waterfall."

"Worried?" I asked casually, while secretly longing for him to say yes and hold my hand again. His face softened for a fraction of a second then turned teasing.

"Yes actually. I wanted my shirt back before the end of the night you know. If you'd gotten lost I would've never gotten it back, would I?"

I was about ready to hit him. He was so...so...arrogant. I started pulling off the shirt, but his hands wrapped around my wrists.

"Don't," he said, looking patronizingly at me, I wondered for the briefest moment if he felt the same warmth that I did. "You look barely decent without the shirt and I don't want my reputation ruined thank you very much." He smiled and let go, looking around the cave. Reputation. Pah.

"How did you find this place?" he asked, motioning towards the hundreds of bats clinging precariously to the ceiling.

"Sarah saved me. We were playing in the river at the top of the cliff and I slipped. When I landed in the water I was pushed down, I wasn't even sure what way was up. She jumped off of the cliff and into the water. We were both pushed into the u-bend rock and she pulled me up into this place."

Edward looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Isn't there another way in? The bats can't swim after all."

"There is. We found it after a few hours of searching. However, at the time, we were six. I think Alice could squeeze through the hole, if she tried, but we won't fit. It's out the way we came." I pointed to the water again. His eyes narrowed.

"Why not make the hole bigger? You're more than strong enough."

"Yes, but then this place loses its secrecy. No one but Sarah, the bats, me and now you, know about this place. Would you want a road paved to your meadow, through the forest, to allow for easy access?"

"That's different."

"It isn't."

"It's exaggerating."

"And you're exasperating!"

"Harsh, but good word use." He replied coolly, though his eyes were blazing. I clenched my fists to try and stop myself from punching something. We stared at each other for a few minutes until he whipped his head around, looking up behind him. He crouched, hiding behind a rock and I slid into the water again, concealing myself amongst the darkness. I could see, very roughly, a figure peeking in at a small gap in the rocks. Bubbles flew past my eyes and the figure was gone. I did not want to compromise my hiding position just yet, so decided to stay underwater, until Edward gave the okay.

His hand slid into the water, offering to help me out. Two things went through my brain; ignore it, or take it. I had already experienced the heat from his hands, twice now, and I knew I wanted more. However, we were in the middle of an argument. I decided to stay put, if only because I was undecided.

Suddenly his hand disappeared and I felt it tuck under my arm. Edward yanked me out of the water, setting me on my feet like a toddler.

"Hey!" I protested.

"You obviously didn't see my hand."

"I did. I was ignoring it."

Again with the icy glare.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"Carlisle. Jasper would've actually come in and checked."

"Should we stay here till sunrise?"

"We haven't been caught yet."

"Fine." I stared at him for a second. "I'm bored. Tell me about your family."

"Why?"

"You know my story." I reminded him. He sighed and began weaving the tale. Carlisle, himself, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and finally Alice and Jasper. I learned of a vampire clan in Denali, and of the Volturi. Edward couldn't believe I didn't know them. I had to re-emphasize the fact that I had only met two vampires before they came. I learned of a lot of things that night, though I did note the flashes in Edward's averted eyes, when he spoke of his family. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling the whole truth either. I didn't mind though. I knew enough. Suddenly Edward stopped and rolled his eyes.

"What?"

"They have everyone but us. Alice has offered to help. If you want to keep this place a secret I suggest we leave." I dove promptly into the water, hearing the rush of bubbles as he followed. We began running shortly after we climbed out. I was headed towards his house, the open meadow, extremely far away from where we were. As I began to speed up, Edward started to overtake me. I pushed my legs faster and we were neck and neck, racing. He was muttering something, though what, I wasn't sure. Suddenly I was hit from behind by a very small fist; Alice. I tumbled to the ground and Edward fell with me. We rolled, crashing into, and knocking down, two trees. When we stopped rolling he was underneath me.

"Ow. Your sister is, um good."

"Precognitive and good are two very different things." Our faces were only inches away from each other. I could feel the heat of his chest, his breath, on my arms and face. I pulled away quickly, my mind making more sense than my body. My body wanted to continue touching him, my mind told me that I should get up, as we were in a very compromising position.

"Got you. Well done, both of you." Alice chimed. I huffed at her from the ground, my wet, and now dirty hair, plastered to my face. I looked at the watch and realised that I needed to be going soon.

"Shower at our place. Sarah's parents won't like the tree bark in the shower." Alice offered her hand to me. We ran the last fifty meters to the house and I was admitted into the bathroom. As I let the scalding water wash the dirt and – as Alice had pointed out – bark from my hair. When I got out, someone had left an identical pair of pyjamas, to my own, on the counter. They fit a little better than the others had, but a human wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I twisted my hair into a loose knot and went downstairs. The others were elsewhere, cleaning up, only Emmett was downstairs. He looked at me goofily from the television, where he was watching football. I smiled and decided to poke around instead. There was a beautiful grand piano sitting off to the side of the first floor. I sat cautiously, looking at the keys. Remembering. Renee had once played one song to me... Something she had made herself. I remembered the notes, and slid my hands onto the smooth, ivory keys. As I began playing the simple, sad tune I heard someone swear in disgust and anger. Edward flew down the stairs, looking livid.

I stopped my playing and stared at him, confused. I turned back to the keys and began playing again. The song only took a few minutes, but by that time I had a large, shocked audience.

"I'm not the only vampire to play a piano." I muttered, embarrassed.

"No, you're the only one to play that one, and still be alive." Jasper said.

"It's Edward's baby." Emmett snickered. Everyone had turned to stare at Edward. His embarrassed look quickly turned into one of teasing.

"She's the only other one to sit down and actually play something worth hearing."

Rosalie growled at him, obviously she played also. I looked to the wall of windows, to see the sky lightening.

"I should go. I'll see you at school I suppose." I smiled and disappeared. I hopped back into my room and pinned the wig to my hair, just like always and went to wake my 'parents' up. I faked my breakfast as they were showering and got ready for school. I drove a little bit too fast, on my way there. I found the Cullens and we just hung out. Edward was quiet as Alice talked about the upcoming dance and who would ask who. I was disappointed to hear that neither Ben nor Angela was going.

"Why not?"

"They haven't asked each other."

I formed a plan then.


	6. Women and Acronyms

EPOV

I watched as she made her way to Angela. She sat beside her.

"Ang?"

"Yup?"

"Do you like British Columbia?" Bella asked. The province? What the hell did that have to do with anything?

_Not that again._ "I'll admit or deny it based on your answer to my question."

"Okay."

"What do you think of extra credit... assignments?" Angela's mind remained blank at this point.

"Woftam." Bella replied. Alice giggled, pleased with the conversation we were eavesdropping on. Rosalie smiled. Jasper and Emmett had as much of a clue as I did.

"Girls rule." Alice and Rose chorused and went their different ways to classes.

"Then no I don't like British Columbia."

"Liar."

"Ditto." Angela retorted. Bella grimaced and waved back to us before disappearing to her class. I sat down, trying to make sense of the cryptically convoluted conversation. British Columbia? Extra credit? Woftam? Where they acronyms? Code words? Just then, Ben Cheeney walked past me. It clicked.

British Columbia – BC – Ben Cheeney.

Extra Credit – EC – my initials.

Impossible. Or was it? And what was woftam?

When lunch came, I just about had had it with my brain. Bella sat with us today, sitting across from me. She talked excitedly to Alice, who was explaining how Bella's plan would get them to the dance together.

"Woftam?" I asked Bella. She bit her lip and suppressed a laugh.

"Should I tell him?" She asked my sisters.

"No. Let him figure that one out on his own." Rose said and Bella chuckled blackly. She left to go to the library and I, frustrated, went to the music room.

I sat down at the piano and played a harsh tune, a composition I had written during my rebellious years. A noise from behind me startled me.

"You shouldn't play like that. It's not nice." Sarah's shy voice said. Sarah/Bella walked forward and sat beside me on the stool. "Teach me something." She instructed. I raised my eyebrow at her. "Just play it, and I'll play it back."

I considered refusing. Instead I played one of Chopin's simpler nocturnes. She kept her eyes on one of my hands, the top hand, closest to where she was sitting. As the piece came to a close, she smiled and placed only one hand on the keyboard, leaving the other on her lap. Obviously she wanted me to play with her.

"One condition."

"One."

"Woftam?"

"Not that one."

"You didn't qualify."

"Waste of fucking time and money." Sarah admitted sheepishly, shrugging.

"You think I'm a waste of time and money?"

"Who said we were talking about you? Oh I see, you read it in her mind right?"

"No," I smirked, "I just got it from you."

She growled at me and I growled back. The music teacher walked in then. Sarah got up, shyly and left. I rolled my eyes and went back to playing, but a softer piece, just as she had requested.

_Thanks Edward. She's all moody now._ Jasper sighed as Bella/Sarah's emotions made him uncomfortable. I kept playing, pretending to ignore him. I really had to get another car... but what one? Replacing the Volvo would be – well like cheating. She was my baby. Not a convertible – they were pointless. Nothing too flashy though, inconspicuous – or more inconspicuous. I'd have to do some research.

BPOV

School barely mattered anymore, though I did well. Angela seemed to notice I was a little more than distracted. I loved spending my nights with the Cullens. We played, we talked, we had fun together. At lunch on one of the days I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a note.

_I'm hungry. Want to have dinner with me, or should I join you?_ I asked Angela to fold it into a paper aeroplane. She had two brothers and had picked up all sorts of useless skills. I casually chucked it, taking delight in the fact that it landed violently in the chocolate cake, splattering some over Edward's shirt. Served him right for looking so gloomy during the day. I heard him growl in anger and frustration as Emmett opened the note and read it to everyone. Jasper stiffened, Alice frowned slightly and Edward looked at me with a 'oh well done' expression on his face. Rosalie simply laughed.

_Our place? I don't like your diet choice, it's too easy to lose control of the utensils involved._ Alice replied, making it look like an innocent dinner invitation and acceptance, because Angela was reading it upside down. Only I noticed that the 'lose control' was slightly more accented than the rest of the writing. I nodded and gave her a cheery thumbs up. I wasn't too sure about their hunting style. Killing defenceless animals was wrong. Stealing blood from humans wasn't that big a step up... but it wasn't killing. I had only ever bitten one person, and I wasn't entirely sure I could actually bite something, even if it was an animal.

That night I came to their house, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Alice smiled at me, Edward was sitting in a tree nearby, casually dusting of imaginary dirt from his jeans.

"It's just going to be you and Edward tonight. I saw the, um, moral debate and warned everyone to skip." She said, giving me an apologetic hug.

"It could be worse." I said, then pretended to think. "Um... actually..."

Alice laughed as Edward scowled at me. I curtsied to him and then stood, waiting.

"I have no idea where we are going or what we're hunting, so..." I trailed off. Edward leapt down from the tree. He sighed, looking bored. And we began running. He stopped and crouched some distance later. He looked excited, ready to hunt. I retreated a little and watched him. He looked like some sort of dark angel. His eyes were filled with hunger, almost desperation, as he prowled slowly forward. His white blouse with sleeves rolled up and the collar slightly unbuttoned and his pale skin in contrast with his ruffled bronze hair, dark jeans and black eyes.

I watched, completely amazed at how skilfully he hunted. When he had taken three deer, without spilling a drop on him, I reminded him of my presence. He straightened, looking almost darkened, yet his eyes were light, topaz, beautiful. I shook my head of the last thought and he came over to me.

"Is it what you expected?"

"Just about."

"Then please..." he waved his arm towards the retreating herd of deer. I tried hard, to let my senses take over, but my control was there, nagging at me. No matter what I tried, I couldn't bring myself to hunt. I was desperately thirsty, hearing their heartbeats, knowing that the blood was warm, even if it smelled... metallic. Like artificial sweetener. To be honest, I was scared. Mid-hunt I froze. I just stopped trying. My brain wouldn't let me do it, wouldn't let me kill anything. A strangled sob escaped my lips. I couldn't even fit in with the outcasts.

Edward was beside me in a second. His hand rested hesitantly on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

"I don't... I can't... I just... I don't want to alright? They smell bad." I covered. In reality I was scared. I did not want to kill. I couldn't kill. Not again. I opened my eyes to see Edward's calm, thoughtful stare. It was a few moments before he said anything.

"It's alright. I do empathize, but the pain of killing does subside." Edward then told me of his rebellious years. His blood lust wasn't quite so horrific; he only killed the guilty, the ones who inflicted pain on innocent people. He still had killed a lot. Edward's face was filled with grief, pain and suddenly I wished it would go away. Even anger and sarcasm would be better. My cold, still heart throbbed at the sight of him so sad.

We both stared at each other and I heard the herd move, to the east now. I closed my eyes again.

"I'm scared." I admitted. He had opened up to me, it was only fair I return the favour.

"Of what?"

"Killing. Anything. I'm afraid it will hurt. Just like it did when I..." I took a deep shuddering breath and suddenly I was in a light hug. It was an uncomfortable hug, as if he had never hugged anyone before. Judging by his reclusive personality, I'd say it was a safe bet. I let my arms rest on his, as his awkward hug filled me with warmth again.

"How about I return the favour and watch you hunt, your way?" Edward asked. I pulled back, looking into his unjoking face.

"I thought the whole point was to-"

"I know. You haven't tried to force your style on us, so it isn't fair that we try, even indirectly, to do it to you. Besides, you hunt like a true predator, efficiently, to meet your needs, not exceed them. It's interesting." He said.

I nodded and we ran to the city instead, stopping by my house, for my gear. I slipped on the black hoodie, not caring about the jeans and shoes this time, secured the mask to my face and got out the gloves and knife. Edward watched, only feet behind me this time, as I hunted, mugging my victims as per usual. It was harder to stop the first time, I was thirsty, but I did, leaving him alive but slightly dazed.

We ran back to the house, after a grand total of three hours. His prey had been slightly harder to track down than mine. Edward didn't say anything, just watched me talk with his family.

"You tried Bella, that's the important thing. Besides, Edward was right. We shouldn't try to force our hunting style on you."

"I wanted to try it. I'm alone. In my style, as you call it. I don't fit with regular vampires and I don't even fit with the irregular vampires."

"Hah. With my gift, do you think I fit anywhere?" Alice pointed out. "Or Carlisle, with his insane compassion for humanity and a practical aversion to human blood? We're not even in with the outcasts."

"So I'm what?"

"Part of our family. Or you will be." Alice said, smiling as always. Rosalie and Edward looked shocked. Emmett looked enthused, Jasper looked curious, but indifferent. Carlisle and Esme exchanged a fleeting glance, and then both smiled. I would be accepted here, I knew that. It might make my post-grad years easier. I smiled back, elated. To ease the moment, Emmett came over, to give me a hug I thought, until he punched me and burst through the door, running away.

"TAG!" he shouted. It was all fun and games with him.


	7. Faking Sick

EPOV

Watching her hunt was incredible, more so than the first time. She moved with skill, grace, silent fluidity. It shocked me to realise that I didn't really hate her anymore. I didn't even dislike her. If I had to be honest, she was almost... _fun_ to be around.

The tag game was actually fun, considering I had a worthy opponent. Bella could match me in speed, something I had never seen before. Before long though, the night was done and Bella had to return home. I was actually almost sad to see her go. I had to wait two hours until I could see her again. It wasn't so bad, but I shocked myself; I was actually wishing I had classes with her. I excused it as pure curiosity; she was a new, friendly vampire. I hadn't any friends really. My brothers and sisters, and Carlisle and Esme had been my only companions.

I watched her, most of the day, to see what she was like. It shocked me repeatedly, how she was literally two different people. Sarah was just as real as Bella. Sarah was pretty confident around her friends, good at school, practiced simple dance moves with her fellow dancers between classes, and was captivating, in a pretty, popular kind of way. Bella was a little shyer, sarcastic, teasing, insecure, hopeful and curious, skilled and had incredible control. She was also captivating. Sarah and Bella. As I watched, I noticed that they weren't really two different people, just two different sides of the same person. Isabella was confident, shy, good at school, sarcastic, kind, captivating and incredible. Unbelievable.

_Oh. I didn't see that one coming. _Alice said. She was in the room below me. I took out my cell phone.

**What one? **I texted. She replied by thinking.

_Well, I knew Bella would be a part of our family, moving around with us and stuff later, because I saw you hunting like her, but we looked like we were in Alaska. We weren't planning on Alaska for another few years and so I knew that she'd stick with-_

**To the point.**

_Fine. What I didn't see, was her ring finger, until the second time I saw the vision._

**What?**

Suddenly a vision filled Alice's mind._ Bella and I were hunting together, using her strange technique. Oddly enough, she was teaching me._

"_Two sips. It's all you need from each victim. Believe me when I say it's hard to stop."_

_I complied, finding it extremely difficult to stop. Bella put her hand on my shoulder and the moonlight glinted off of a familiar ring; my mother's. I pulled away from my victim, breathing deeply_

The vision ended and I was confused. Why would she have my mother's ring?

_Honestly Edward. You are such a prude._

I decided to store the vision in the back of my brain. I cared enough to let Alice or Esme have my mother's ring, but they were content with the ones their mates had given them. Clearly Bella's mate was in need of a ring and I helped out. My brain dared to make me think the impossible words. What if I was Bella's mate? I wasn't sure how I felt about that thought. I wasn't sure at all. My brain went into immediate protective mode and I tried to remember what cars I had wanted to acquire.

BPOV

Valentine's Day was coming up. Singles Awareness Day. It sucked big time. Sarah had had many suitors, but vampires had so many more, so a vampire suitor was just torture. I seriously considered faking sick, but my 'parents' would probably try to take my temperature. I was the temperature of the fridge. Not very healthy in my opinion.

It would fall on a Monday. Great. Not only was it my least favourite day, but now I had another reason to hate it. I vented at the Cullens on Sunday night.

"It is, quite possibly, the most stupid holiday ever. Worse than millions of children believing that a fat guy in a red suit will deliver presents with flying reindeer, worse than a huge white bunny leaving chocolate eggs for children to find, worse than the two of them combined!"

"So a fat bunny in a red suit with flying reindeer and chocolate eggs?" Emmett asked. I could see him picturing that. Edward saw it too, even though he wasn't listening to the conversation.

"Excuse me?" I could see him trying to figure out how the initial question 'How are you?' had turned into the Christmas Easter bunny.

"You should pay more attention Edward." Esme said, teasing, but serious also. He shrugged and tried to look through everyone's heads. He suddenly turned to me.

"You don't like Valentine's day?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because. Could I please fake sick? Carlisle you could write me a doctor's note." I begged. I was literally on my knees, begging. He chuckled, as did Edward.

"Yes. But..."

I knew there had to be a but.

"But?"

"But, you have to let Alice dress you for a minimum of a month." Carlisle sighed and turned to Alice. "Debt repaid?"

"Absolutely! You are the best ever Carlisle!" she squeaked. I saw no choice. Face a day of humiliation, or a month of Alice. It was a lose-lose situation. I loved her to pieces, but she was so... excitable when it came to clothes.

"Fine." I gave in and got strangled by Alice's death hug of happiness.

It was sorted. I would call Carlisle in the morning, describe my imaginary symptoms and he would inform my 'parents' that I should stay home today. I left right before my 'parents' got up and began to fake coughing. I used a fine spray bottle of saltwater, to create sweat and lay in bed, pretending to feel horrible. Never once had Sarah, or myself faked sick, so they had no reason to believe I would be faking now. My 'parents' let me phone Carlisle, when I explained that his daughter and I were friends. He talked to them and told them to keep me home, at least for a day. He promised to stop by after he finished his day at the hospital. My 'parents' left for work and I showered and found a good book to start reading. I was lying on my bed, covered by only a towel, reading Mansfield Park.

"Mind if I join you?" a velvety voice came from behind me. I growled and turned my head, to look at Edward. He was studying his fingernails.

"Shut your damn eyes." When he complied I got dressed quickly, my eyes never leaving his. He remained still and silent until I told him it was safe to look. His eyes opened and he took in my outfit; a simple shirt and jeans. He was, of course, wearing designer clothes.

"Tell me, do all of your clothes come from thrift stores?" he asked. He was trying to get me angry.

"Tell me, if you sold your closet, could you feed, well, Africa?" I retorted. He smirked.

"Probably."

"What are you doing here Edward?" I ignored the thrill of saying his name.

"Didn't you hear? I got sick, clearly from you, so Carlisle made me stay home."

"Well can't you stay home sick somewhere else, like, _your_ home?"

He laughed a melodious laugh. I tried to ignore the worry I felt that he might actually listen to me and leave.

"No. I think I'll stay here. Besides, I thought you might want to know how many plans you ruined."

"Sorry?"

"Six different boys had various gifts for you. You not showing up at school has made them all quite dissatisfied."

I rolled my eyes at him. He sat on the bed and picked up my wig. I could almost hear the phrase, before it came out.

"This is..."

"Irritating, itchy, distracting, annoying and awkward." I said. He smiled at me, throwing me it.

"Actually, I was going to say... it isn't my favourite colour on you. I much prefer your own hair."

If I could've blushed. I had no witty retort, no sarcastic remark planned for... well for a compliment. After only a second of confused surprise a crooked smile appeared on his face.

"No comeback? Bella I'm disappointed." That put a scowl back on my face. "Much better." He vaulted nicely off of Sarah's bed, halting inches away from me.

"Would you help me do something?"

"What?" I managed to ask, as his sweet scent flowed into my nostrils.

"I need to replace my car. I need something fast, inconspicuous, not-girly and 'me'."

We spent most of the morning, surfing the internet, looking for a car. We talked and joked about ridiculous types of cars and the kinds of people that own them. Edward was staring more at me than the computer screen. Come lunch time we had forgotten about the cars altogether. He was sitting on my bed, watching as I spun myself around on a wheely chair.

"So what is your favourite colour?" he asked. I stopped my chair, turning to face him.

"What?"

"I hardly know anything about you. Though we've known each other for... a month and a half."

"It changes from day to day."

"What is your favourite colour today?"

"Bro-wn." I answered slowly. I had started to say bronze, whilst staring at his tousled hair.

"Brown?"

"Sure. Brown is warm. At least in England the trees were brown. Here even the bark is covered in squashy green mush."

He seemed fascinated by my rant. It wasn't a total lie, just not the total truth; I did like brown today, but bronze and topaz were swiftly becoming my favourite colours.

"Yours?" I asked. He thought about it for a second.

"Burgundy." He replied, holding up his burgundy coloured wristwatch. We shot questions off of each other, music, books, movies, subjects, anything. I memorised his answers, his laughs, his frowns. I began to slowly realise that I was enjoying his company.


	8. The Gift

EPOV

When she called Carlisle, I noted that she sounded genuinely sick – not a bad actress. When he hung up the phone I told my brothers and sisters that I thought I had caught whatever Bella had got.

_You can say that again._ Jasper smirked. I didn't get angry with him, only because he gave nothing away. If I had reacted, I would've had to explain motivation. Carlisle let me stay with her for the day. After my siblings had left for school, I ran to Bella's house. The scent of her strawberry shampoo hit me. She was lying, barely covered by a towel, on her bed, reading. I was taken aback by her unintended seductive qualities. Her long, smooth legs were glistening with water droplets, her brown hair surrounding her face beautifully. The towel was draped across her back, showing her toned shoulders, arms and legs. It took me a minute to stop ogling before I spoke, remembering that she was just a friend. I composed myself, pretending to study my fingernails as I spoke.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Shut your damn eyes." She instantly snapped. I complied but listened to the fabrics covering her body. I could smell denim and cotton. She told me it was safe and I opened my eyes. I was right. The shirt was too large for her and the jeans were loose. No wonder Alice was so concerned about dressing her. But I liked it. It was very Bella.

"Tell me, do all of your clothes come from thrift stores?" The words slipped past my lips before I could stop them.

"Tell me, if you sold your closet, could you feed, well, Africa?"

I expected a quick response. She was verbally very fun to spar with.

"Probably."

"What are you doing here Edward?" I ignored the thrill of hearing my name on her lips.

"Didn't you hear? I got sick, clearly from you, so Carlisle made me stay home."

"Well can't you stay home sick somewhere else, like, _your_ home?"

I had to laugh. She didn't look like she wanted me to leave. She was leaning slightly towards me, her posture relaxed, even adoring. Although her words were acidic, her actions were as sweet as sugar.

"No. I think I'll stay here. Besides, I thought you might want to know how many plans you ruined."

"Sorry?"

"Six different boys had various gifts for you. You not showing up at school has made them all quite dissatisfied." Tyler, Mike, Eric, David, Adam and me. Although, her staying home was enough of a gift for me. I got to spend the day, with my friend uninterrupted. She rolled her eyes at me. I sat on her bed, picking up the red wig I so often thought of her in. I had to admit I liked her real hair better.

"This is..."

"Irritating, itchy, distracting, annoying and awkward."

I threw it to her, amused by her rant.

"Actually, I was going to say... it isn't my favourite colour on you. I much prefer your own hair."

Her mouth fell open uncertainly. I was expecting a retort, but nothing. She looked surprised and slightly dazed. I had to help her.

"No comeback? Bella I'm disappointed. Much better." I added as she scowled. I jumped up, landing inches from her, trying to not laugh at the way she still looked surprised.

"Would you help me do something?" I managed as her sweet scent overloaded my senses.

"What?"

"I need to replace my car. I need something fast, inconspicuous, not-girly and 'me'."

By lunch we had stopped looking, not that I was paying much attention. I was too busy being distracted by the divine being beside me. She occasionally bit her lip when she was thinking. Her eyes, burgundy today, were beautiful, though I had once found the colour a hideous reminder of what our kind was. She was an exception; good to an extreme. She started spinning occasionally on the rolling chair she was on. Within two minutes she was spinning continuously around and around. I watched as her hair fanned out slightly with the rotation. She was indeed captivating. I needed her to say something anything. How much did I really know about her though? Not a lot. I had known her for a while now, but I knew nothing of her.

"So what is your favourite colour?" She stopped the chair, turning to face me.

"What?"

"I hardly know anything about you. Though we've known each other for... a month and a half." One month, fifteen days, six hours. Not counting the encounter with the Volvo.

"It changes from day to day."

"What is your favourite colour today?"

"Bro-wn." She had started in an odd tone.

"Brown?"

"Sure. Brown is warm. At least in England the trees were brown. Here even the bark is covered in squashy green mush."

Mush. True.

"Yours?" I wanted to say burgundy, but if I did, I would surely be caught out on why. However I had worn the leather watch today, with a burgundy strap. That seemed enough of a reason.

"Burgundy." We shot questions off of each other, music, books, movies, subjects, anything. I memorised her answers, her laughs, her frowns. I began to slowly realise that I was enjoying her company, much too much. I wanted to stay there with her, but I could hear Mouse getting agitated.

"Mouse needs to go for a walk. Want to come with?" she asked.

"What else could I do?" I reminded her. I still had to give her the Valentine's day present. I had left it on her roof, knowing it would be safe there. We walked, silently, but I didn't mind. Mouse was a little uneasy around me but after a few belly rubs he warmed up to me. Bella noticed the gift when we got back to her house. The small box was sitting near her window, and it stood out against the brown of the roof. I jumped up to get it and brought it back to her. The box was large enough to contain an apple, though that wasn't what was in it. She gave Mouse's leash to me and almost opened the box.

"What is this?"

"Shouldn't you ask that after you've opened it?"

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"Bella." I sighed. She opened it, pulling the lid off. Inside was a large array of silver letters. The alphabet, only each letter was repeated at least three times. A silver bracelet accompanied it. It was a simple gift, a charm bracelet, only the charms were letters, which could be arranged into any words she wished. She smiled, unsure of how to take it.

"Um... thank you. I didn't get anything for you." She seemed still pleased, yet shy about the gift, looking more like Sarah than Bella.

"That's not the point of Valentine's day. I would've gotten you something with proper lettering on it, perhaps an engraved locket, but I thought you may appreciate this more."

Bella stood, still looking at the contents of the little box, before she surprised me once again. She leaned forward and kissed me. It was a quick kiss, just her luscious lips pressed against my own, but I enjoyed every moment of it. Her lips sent fire through my veins, a painful desire that made me feel more human than I had in a long while. She raised a hand up to my face to shyly stroke my jaw.

"You should be leaving soon. Besides, I have to fake sick for the rest of the night."

"I'll fake sick with you. I could hide in your closet." I offered. Hide in your closet? What was I thinking? However the offer seemed to appease her.

"I'd like that." I followed her back into the house. I heard her parents come home and I disappeared into her room. I slipped into the closet as she came out of her bathroom, face shimmering with sweat. She was in her pyjamas and if I had not known she couldn't get sick I would've been worried. She slipped into bed, messing up the sheets and I realised just how much effort she put in to make herself seem normal. I waited in her closet while her parents visited her. She seemed asleep but as her parents watched her, they decided to call my father.

They were still in her room when my cell phone buzzed. I opened it to see a text:

**B + E sittin in a tree... ** Emmett.

I snapped it shut again, angry at Alice for spilling the news. I contemplated torture, until another buzz.

**I don't deserve that! Besides, I had to explain to Jasper why suddenly I was over the moon happy. One minute we were... well, getting intimate and the next I'm bouncing around the house like a child on a sugar rush.** Alice.

I snapped it shut again, only to hear it buzz, _again._

**Happy for you bro. Nice gift too. Alice has seen what she'll spell, but I can't tell you.** Jasper.

I snapped it shut again, more forcefully only to her it buzz again.

**Carlisle is on his way. I'm heading over too. You could technically arrive with us.** Alice. I snapped it shut again, glaring at it, making sure it didn't buzz. Her parents left.

"Getting mad at your cell phone – sure sign you're crazy." Sarah smiled. It was almost like as soon as the wig went on Bella disappeared. There was no trace of the accent, the snappiness that made Bella. I climbed out of her closet, and leaned over, taking her hand and kissing it, like a true gentleman. She smiled shyly.

"You can't have two girls. It's Bella or me." She reminded me. I leaned in and whispered "I'm okay with bigamy," and flung myself out of the window. I had to ask Carlisle for a favour.


	9. Shopping

BPOV

After I had found the gift, I was so surprised and happy and thankful that I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself. I did the only thing I could possibly think of – I kissed him. Perhaps because it was Valentine's day. Perhaps because he had given me a beautiful gift, despite the fact that I thought he hated me. Perhaps because we had spent the whole day hanging out together. Perhaps it was because I loved him.

I felt it as soon as our lips met; the heat and desire flowed through me. I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck, to pull him closer to me, instead I pulled away, unsure of whether or not I should've done that. He seemed pleased though. His eyes were excited. I gently ran my hand across his jaw, feeling the heat of his skin on my hand.

"You should be leaving soon. Besides, I have to fake sick for the rest of the night." I wasn't particularly excited about being bed-bound for the next little while, but I thought I could handle it.

"I'll fake sick with you. I could hide in your closet." It was just what I had pictured if my 'parents' came home early, Edward trapped amongst Sarah's clothes. I didn't want him to leave just yet either.

"I'd like that." He followed me to my room and I escaped to the bathroom. I looked far too happy. After only a few seconds, I looked like hell again. I messed up my bed sheets as I climbed into bed and Edward smiled, backing into the closet. When my 'parents' asked me how I was feeling and if I felt well enough for school tomorrow I said I wasn't sure. I heard an electronic buzzing from my closet and a small sigh as Edward opened and closed his phone. It took all of my effort not to laugh when it buzzed again, and again and again. The snaps got louder and I could hear him getting annoyed. My 'parents' left and I told him he was crazy.

Edward reappeared, taking my hand and kissing it, to show that he was not angry at me. I remembered that I was Sarah and scolded him.

"You can't have two girls. It's Bella or me." He leaned in towards me and whispered. "I'm okay with bigamy," when I got over the shock of that statement he was gone.

I heard him arrive with Carlisle later.

"Edward! I heard you were sick also. How are you?" my 'mother' started.

"Much better. I think I got it a little earlier than Sarah, so she should get better soon." Edward's voice rang out, sounding slightly sick. "Actually, I want to apologize to her, I think I made her sick."

"You go on ahead, I have to talk to Sarah's parents." Carlisle's voice rang out. Edward's feet thumping up the stairs made me laugh; vampires didn't make noise. He sat on my bed.

"I am terribly sorry for making you sick Sarah."

"Oh I don't mind. I spent the whole day doing nothing at all."

"Oh. Was I that boring?"

I leaned forward, almost within reach of his lips.

"I wouldn't say boring." His eyes glazed over slightly and I could tell he wanted to kiss me. I leaned in, to a fraction of an inch away, before pulling back and tucking myself into bed again. Edward looked pissed.

"Not fair."

"What?" I asked innocently. My 'parents' walked in then, with Carlisle. He took my non-existent pulse, my temperature and told me that I should stay home tomorrow. I glared at Edward who shrugged as if he'd had no say in it. So I got to spend another whole day with him? This was heaven on earth.

"Actually, Alice and Jasper are showing symptoms of the sickness too. They might have to stay home tomorrow too." I looked questioningly at Edward and he cupped a hand around his ear, telling me to listen. I did so and heard: Thank you thank you thank you Carlisle! We so have to go shopping!

Alice was outside. She was already planning my torture. I wasn't looking forward to tomorrow anymore. Edward left with Carlisle, returning with Alice through my window. Alice began talking excitedly about what we would be buying tomorrow and I stared at Edward with a 'help me please' look on my face.

"Don't worry, I'll be there."

"What if I don't want you there?" it was an empty threat and he knew it.

"That's too bad. I don't trust anyone with my Vanquish, and I ought to see what I'm paying for."

"Excuse me?"

Edward leaned in towards me, close enough to kiss me, then whispered.

"I am paying for your new attire. So I ought to have some say in what I buy." He leaned slightly closer, his arms resting on mine. "Okay?" His scent had washed over me, and I felt like I would say yes to anything. I nodded. He then leaned away, leaving me gasping for air I didn't need. Unfair. We talked most of the rest of the night. I kept my eyes firmly on Alice, although I could feel Edward's eyes on me.

My 'parents' checked up on me, then left. As soon as it was safe, Alice practically threw me into Edward's car. We drove, at a scary speed, to Seattle and the torture began. I grasped Edward's hand firmly as Alice tried to drag me into the first store. Jasper put his hands on Alice's shoulders and she calmed down – slightly.

In the first store, she simply pushed me into the changeroom, with a firm 'Stay!' and I heard Edward laugh. Dozens of items rained down on me then. Alice slipped in and helped me into the first outfit. She then pushed me outside and I fell, straight into Edward. I was wearing a baby blue halter top and tight black jeans. His eyes roamed over me appreciatively.

"Will she calm down?"

"If you stop struggling." Jasper and he advised simultaneously. So I did and Alice's violently hyper attitude disappeared. I modeled hundreds of outfits that day, being as tired as a vampire could possibly be. When I pointed out that we needed to go home she sighed and pushed me out of the store before I could see the price of what they were buying.

I sat in the car, looking like an angry four year old – pissed off and grumpy.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, pushing my hair out of my face with his delicate pianist fingers. He was leaning in to me, his eyes smothering mine.

"I don't need those clothes."

"Well although _I _wouldn't mind you walking around in the nude..." he trailed off. I hit him. But he had done the job, I was smiling now.

"I could say the same about you." I muttered.

"We should try that sometime." He replied, just as quietly. Those mental images filled my head for the entire ride home, and I was infinitely glad that Edward couldn't read my mind. My emotions on the other hand...

"Bella!" Jasper complained. I smiled apologetically. Edward and Alice laughed. We got home and Alice hid the piles of clothing in the back of my closet.

"If you ever come over, wearing anything other than what I've just bought you, it will be the last thing you ever do." She threatened and disappeared. Edward laughed at my dazed expression.

We lay on my bed, my fingers running down his arm, tracing lazy patterns on his smooth skin. His eyes closed and he half-smiled.

"Do you mind?"

"No – you have no idea how good that feels."

I think I did. His skin set fire to mine, a burning desire rippled through my body from wherever we touched. Frankly I was glad that Jasper wasn't there. We still had the dance to go to, tomorrow. I wondered vaguely if my plan would work. I would go with Angela, Edward with Ben, and we would coincidently meet up at the dance. I wondered if they felt about each other, the way that I felt about Edward. The question that forced itself to the front of my mind was: did Edward feel like that about me? I looked again at his god-like face. I think he did.

EPOV

After Sarah's parent's checked on Bella in the morning, Alice went insane. She literally dragged Bella to my car, throwing her into the passenger seat. I drove to Seattle, while Bella complained about 'unfair treatment'. When I parked the car Bella didn't move. I opened her door for her and offered her my hand. She grasped it firmly, and the fire rippled through me again. Jasper smiled at me.

_Strong desire. You have fallen head over heels for her._

_...and she'll need at least ten pairs of jeans, skirts, yoga pants, leggings, shoes..._ Alice was in overdrive. I looked at Jasper pointedly and he slid his hands onto her shoulder.

_Calm down. Calmer. Calmer. Not working Edward._ Jasper informed me. I had to hide a smile.

In the first store, Alice pulled Bella into the first changeroom and pushed Jasper and I into the chairs nearby.

"Stay." _Everybody_. I laughed, knowing that she thought I would steal Bella away. I was considering it, but I too was remotely interested in how Bella would look in clothes that actually fit her. She then disappeared, coming back with dozens of items. Mentally I checked around. The staff hadn't even seen our arrival, let alone her hyper, super-human antics.

Alice disappeared into the changeroom with Bella and I sighed. This would be a long day, especially if Bella didn't co-operate. The door flew open and Bella stumbled out, being pushed by Alice. I caught her instantly and was glad I did. The baby blue shirt looked incredible with her pale skin and mahogany hair. The jeans showed off her beautiful curves I had seen glimpses of during the game of hide and seek. It took all of my strength not to kiss her there. She looked slightly scared, of Alice I assumed.

"Will she calm down?"

"If you stop struggling."

Jasper and I had been through this routine far too many times. We watched Alice work her magic, throwing all sorts of clothes over the door. Bella came out of that changeroom at least a hundred times. She didn't bother properly closing the door anymore, although I didn't notice until I heard Alice's thoughts.

_We could try lingerie. _The mental images that flashed through her mind did outrageous things to my body. I felt my... excitement, just when Jasper did. He laughed.

_So you've finally noticed the door was open then?_

I turned to look at the door, and indeed it was. It wasn't open much, just a few inches, but it was enough. I could see her bare back and black lace panties. My eyes followed her beautiful curves down her legs and back up her body to her shoulders and neck. My excitement became more pronounced and Jasper chuckled.

"Stop." I pleaded, readjusting my jeans.

_I'm just playing with what's already there._

I gave him a glare to top all glares and he started thinking about the La Push pack instead. That immediately got me distracted. How had she not been picked off by the Quileutes? They had found my family, both times, with ease and we weren't even drinking from humans. Finally we were done. Bella looked as though she'd just been told she'd had an hour to live. Alice threw her out of the store while we paid. She didn't want Bella seeing the price. She also didn't want Bella seeing the lingerie she picked up too. If Bella had tried it on in front of me... I did not have that much self-control. When I got into the car, Bella was hiding behind her hair. I couldn't tell if she was mad or sad, but she certainly wasn't happy.

"What's wrong?" I leaned towards her, lifting her hair out of her face, so that I could better see her burgundy eyes.

"I don't need those clothes." She was clearly upset, very upset. Bella made no sense most of the time. I liked it though. It always kept me on edge.

"Well although _I _wouldn't mind you walking around in the nude..." She hit me, although she was smiling again. I tried not to picture the statement I had admitted, lest my arousal return.

"I could say the same about you." She muttered.

"We should try that sometime." Those mental images filled my head for the entire ride home, and I was infinitely glad that the driving was distracting me slightly. My emotions on the other hand...

"Bella!" _Edward! _Jasper complained. I laughed apologetically, liking the fact that she was having the same fun I was. Alice laughed too, at the silliness of the conversation.

She hid the clothing away and left with a threat. Bella and I lay on top of her bed, enjoying the quiet together. Tomorrow we had to go to school. Well she did. But now I had a reason to and I wanted to see her.

Suddenly her fingernails were tracing her way up my arm. Desire shot through me and it took all of my effort not to take her there. I closed my eyes, smiling at the effect this incredible lady had on me.

"Do you mind?"

"No – you have no idea how good that feels." It was hard to talk, hard to breathe, hard to focus with her there, this close to me. I had never felt so strongly about anyone before, I didn't think I was even this close to my father, Carlisle, who had been my mentor for eighty odd years. I had never felt such a strong bond. But did she feel the same way for me?

School was interesting. Most of the males with Valentine presents had ended up giving their presents to other girls, except me. Sarah/Bella wore the blank chain, and I knew she was letting me know that she had yet to decide what she wanted to write, but that she did like the gift.

"Ben?" her crisp voice pierced my mind. I turned to see her sitting on a railing, talking to Ben Cheeney, who looked amazed that she was there at all. "I'm here to ask you something, from a friend. Angela wants to take you to the dance tonight, are you okay with that? She turned down Cullen you know." Sarah pointed at me and I quickly looked away. Clever.

"Cullen? She turned him down because she wants to ask me?" _Wow. Maybe she does like me._

"Well, are you going to go with her? I'll pass on the message, but I have to go now. Are you going?" she asked, hopping off of the rail.

"I'd love to go with Angela." He smiled.

Sarah smiled at me and disappeared indoors. I found Angela, like I had promised.

"Angela?" she looked at me, confused. _What could he want? Perhaps he wants to ask Sarah to the dance. I've seen how he looks at her, they'd make a perfect match._

"Would you go to the dance with me? No, good. I promised Ben I would ask for me first, before I asked for him." I acted my part perfectly, looking like a nervous teenager.

"What?"

"I promised Ben, you know Cheeney? That I would ask you out before I would ask you to go with him. He wants to go with you ,you know. He's way too shy to ask." I sounded odd.

"Ben wants to go to the dance with me?" Angela's face lit up and I forced myself not to smile at her happiness, her smile was beautifully contagious, like Bella's.

"Yes. Say yes, to him, so that he'll stop moping about not asking you earlier." I said.

She laughed and nodded, too pleased for words.

"He'll see you at the dance then."

Now I just had to ask Sarah to go with me. I knew she would, but I still had to ask, and I was a little nervous.


	10. Various Relationships

BPOV

In biology Edward and I passed notes. It sounds strange, especially considering he was a hundred years old, but it was fun anyway.

_Bella? Would you care to pass notes? _

**Yes. I think I may just enjoy that. **

_Good._

**Is there anything you planned on talking about?**

_Perhaps. But I'll only tell you if you're good._

**Edward! That's hardly fair!**

_How so?_

**You started this whole conversation, so you may as well tell me why you started it, else I might not want to continue it.**

He growled. It was a playful growl, inaudible to human ears. I growled right back at him. He smiled and gently let his hand rest on top of mine. He moved my hand, holding the pen, to write his response. I could barely focus on it, too distracted by the heat that warmed me when he touched me.

_Well I wanted to ask you if you'd consider going shopping again with Alice _

"No!" I said, out loud. Everyone turned to look at me.

"Something wrong Sarah?" Banner asked. I cleared my throat.

"I just deleted my boyfriend's number from my cell." My hand slipped into Edward's pocket, faster than any human could see and I held up the open cell as proof. "I know I shouldn't have been using it in class sir, I was just concerned about my dog. Mouse broke a bone a month ago and I've been trying to schedule an appointment to get him looked at again. It won't happen again sir."

He nodded and I saw Edward trying not to laugh. It was all true, except for the deleting boyfriend's number. I didn't have a boyfriend. He got back to the lesson and I made a point of not looking at Edward for the rest of the period. He could still talk though.

"Your boyfriend's number is in my cell?" he asked casually. I fought the urge to laugh.

"_Was_," I corrected, "If you were paying any attention."

"You never let me finish. If you'd care to pay attention, I hadn't put a period on the end of the line, I was planning to write more before you rudely interrupted."

I glanced back at the note and sure enough he hadn't. I waited for him to continue.

"If you'd consider going shopping with Alice, again, because I don't think we bought you anything to wear for the dance tonight."

I turned to look at him then, my mouth falling open slightly.

"That is, if you wouldn't mind going with me." He smiled. I wanted to go with him. I realised that I really wanted to go to a silly human event with him.

"Um, okay. Do you even know how to dance?"

"Not modern, but I'm sure I could pick it up."

"Ballroom?" I asked, sarcastically.

"Absolutely." He replied seriously.

"I suppose, as long as we get back early. I'll have to let my 'parents' know too."

"Of course." He replied, standoffishly, but I could tell he was pleased. So was I.

I called my 'parents' as soon as I got home, telling them where I was going and why. Sarah's mother was pleased, but also wanted to meet the boy I was going with. Alice then swept me up and we drove to Seattle, faster than even Edward had. She passed dozens of stores, until she reached a small boutique.

"I know this takes the fun out of it, but I already looked ahead to those stores and saw you in pretty much every dress. I think you'll like the one I've chosen for you, although it would look better on Bella than Sarah."

I rolled my eyes. She pushed me into the changeroom and threw over the dress. It was blue and a thin 'floaty' material. I slid it on. It was strapless, blue, form fitting and the skirt fell to just above my knees. The skirt had folds upon folds of fabric, so light, that if I spun it flared up like the dress Marilyn Monroe wore in her most famous pictures. It also had a silver sparkling to the bodice, swirling in intricate patterns. I stepped out of the changeroom and Alice sighed in happiness.

"Perfect." She held out a pair of stilettos and I slipped them on. They were silver too. The whole outfit contrasted with my fiery red hair and eyes, but I looked pretty good.

"I found you a wig, same colour and length, except a different hairstyle. It's parted differently, and more curly, and it looks like an updo." She whispered. Alice had put a lot of thought into this clearly. I hugged her hard. I headed back to the changeroom, but she grabbed my clothes, paid for the dress and shoes, then pulled me out of the store. In the car, she did my makeup and I switched wigs. After she had very securely and tightly pinned the wig to my real hair, she smiled.

"Gosh, you look amazing."

"What about you?" I asked. She then slipped into her dress, still in the car. Hers was dark purple and 'pixie like'. It was tight at the top, but flared out, almost sharply, down to the knees. Her heels were higher than mine and looked more like thin metal spikes. Her makeup was already done and she simply ran her fingers through her hair. She looked good though. Better than I did. I was actually fairly excited about the dance, if only because I was going with Edward.

"Bella, Sarah, whatever."

"Yes?"

"Tease him. He deserves it." Alice smiled.

"What?"

"Let his eyes roam, keep his hands in check. You however are allowed to be frisky."

"Why?"

"Because, Bella, Sarah, whatever, Edward is a hundred year old virgin, with a lot of sexual frustration cooped up. He has been nothing but irritatingly mean, since he was a newborn, yet when he met you, he loosened up. We, being the other three vamp couples, want to get back at him for all the grief he's given us. You, being now in my debt for helping you, are going to help."

"Okay." To be honest, she scared me. We both slid into the front seats again and she began to drive us to her house. She pulled into the garage and stopped so harshly that I felt the seat threaten to pull itself out from under me. We both climbed out and I scratched at my wig. It had taken me months to get used to the other one, this one was brand new and itchy!

Alice took me through the back of the house and told me to sit, pointing at the kitchen counter. I did, letting my legs dangle. Esme came in and her jaw dropped.

"You look beautiful Sarah."

"Thank you." I smiled. Esme, Edward, Carlisle and myself were the only ones who could easily distinguish between my two personas. The others thought of me as one person, so they found it more difficult . She came to stand near me, waiting for her son, as I was. I heard him before I saw him. He entered the kitchen and took a slight step back, his jaw dropping infinitesimally. His eyes locked on mine, before they strayed, looking at my dress, they then followed the curves of my legs to my shoes and back up. If I could've blushed I would've.

He looked incredible. He was dressed in black trousers, and a dark green silk shirt. He had a black denim jacket resting over his arm. His topaz eyes were sparkling, his hair sticking out at all angles. He looked like a god, especially with his crooked smile. I began to slide off the counter, but, being the gentleman, he was instantly there. He lifted me down to the ground, the short distance it was.

"You look beyond beautiful. I'm terribly lucky."

"You, sir, are blinded."

"I have excellent eyesight." He protested. He held his arm out for me and we walked out together. Edward didn't drive. I was just as shocked as the rest of them, until I realised his plan. There wasn't enough room in the car for six, only five. Edward pulled me onto his lap quickly and I fought the urge to laugh. I, being very unladylike, raised my skirt, turned around and straddled him instead. He was just as shocked as the rest of his family.

"Pray tell, Mr. Cullen, was this your ultimate intention?" I asked sweetly, as Sarah, not Bella. He smiled back, although his hands were in fists at his sides, clearly wanting to pull me closer to him. I wanted nothing more than to relieve the pressure that constantly begin building up whenever we got close, but not here, in front of everyone. I simply leaned in, hugging him, inhaling his delicious scent, until the car stopped outside of the school. I got out first, making sure I looked relatively decent before feeling Edward wrap his arms around my waist gently. It felt wonderful. All I wanted to do was force him back into the car, skip the dancing and go straight for some much wanted desert.

"Sarah!" a slightly angry voice called from behind me. I winced. I turned around to see Angela. She looked angry, yet pleased. I could only assume she found out what Edward and I had done. I walked over to her, hugging her. She didn't hug back.

"Come on, Ang. You've both got the night together now." I smiled. She sighed and hugged back. Ben came out moments later. He thanked Edward and me shyly. We simply laughed and told them to get back to the dance.

"Oh, Sarah!" Angela called. "They're gonna play Thriller, and the dance team wants to have some fun. Care to join us captain?"

"Maybe."

"Cha Cha Slide's after. You've already missed the Macarena, but I heard they're gonna do Mambo No. 5"

"The Mambo I'm in for, that dance is more, refined."

"Please captain?" Jessica called. I rolled my eyes and nodded. They ran off. I turned back to Edward.

"I didn't understand a word of that."

"Well, you'll see. What music do you listen to anyway?"

"A little bit of everything, although nothing from the sixties or seventies. I try very hard to pretend that they didn't exist. Alice enjoyed them though." He was really such a prude. His brothers and sisters were correct. Tonight's teasing would be fun.


	11. Paralyzer

EPOV

She looked incredible. Her dress flowed with every movement she made. When I had slipped into the car, pulling her on top of me, I was being selfish. I wanted to smell her delicate smell. I wanted to feel the warmth she lit inside me. I wanted to test my self control a little too.

_Want help trying not to be excited?_ Jasper asked. I rolled my eyes, so he left me alone. It was then that Bella hitched up her skirt and turned around facing me, straddling me. Jasper didn't try to help at all. I tried to concentrate on anything but her. The fact that Emmett was driving my car, the fact that my siblings were now watching my every move... Still. She squirmed slightly closer, and my trousers suddenly felt – restrictive. Her dress clung to her beautiful curves perfectly and I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her thin waist and pull her towards me, closer. I clenched my hands tightly instead. She leaned in to hug me and I placated myself, by resting my hands on her back.

In the gymnasium that had been converted into a dance room, every move she made captivated me. It was all I could do to not let my hands run all over her. I found the perfect opportunity for a waltz and swept her into that. She was delighted.

_They look happy together. Let's feed them a little fuel..._ Alice. She moved over to the DJ and asked for a song.

Paralyzer came on. Bella/Sarah, began dancing, in the way I had seen her perform Angela's number before. With, as Emmett put it, moves that should be illegal. She pulled herself closer to me, sliding her hands up and down my chest as the music swam around us.

_Well I'm not paralyzed but I seem to be struck by you,_

_I wanna make you move, because you're standing still,_

As she slowly began grinding her hips against me, my hands tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. She noticed and twisted out of my grip, dancing behind me instead. This lady was killing me! The worst part was, by the grin I kept catching on her face, she knew it too. Her hands slid down my silk shirt and she tucked her elegant fingers into my trouser waistband. I spun around, glaring at her, although it probably looked more like a plea. She merely smiled and continued to dance to the music.

_If your body matches what your eyes can do,_

_You'll probably move right through, me on my way to you._

To onlookers, it would've seemed as though I was running my fingers through her hair, but really I was sliding mine under it. I loved the feel of her hair, more than anything, and having it hidden away, if for a good reason, was torture. She smiled and returned the favour, wrapping her arms around my neck, to run her hands through my hair. The sensation was extremely erotic. When she was torn away, to join the dance team and 'Thriller' I ran to Jasper for help, keeping my eyes on Sarah the entire time.

"Jasper. Help me please!"

"Do you want to feel suicidal? I've been trying to lay everything from calm to angry, to sad on you. That's the only option I have left, unless you want me to try murderous." He looked almost as exasperated as I felt.

"What?"

"My powers don't seem to affect you when you're around her. Your... desires... are too strong." He complained. _Alice has been helping me – release the tension – since we got here. That's why we've been hidden away in the back corner. You two are overpowering. You're both going to explode if you don't do something._

I laughed at that. Suddenly Emmett's strong arms were around me, lifting me up in a bone-crunching hug.

"Edward getting any yet?" He asked frankly. A passing human snorted into their drink. I sighed and remained motionless, until Sarah returned.

"We're all waiting on Mambo No. 5 now." She smiled. "Emmett, put Edward down."

"He hasn't been _down_ since he first saw you in that dress."

She smiled, biting her lip to not laugh. If we weren't surrounded by humans he would've been through the wall by now.

"Come on Em, leave him alone."

After that, I decided to have some fun with Sarah. I swept her into my arms and began spinning, my mouth inches from hers, towards the wall. When she was against it I kissed her passionately, letting my hands rest on her waist, although they wanted to be doing other things. Her hands slid down my collar, my chest, to the fabric above my groin and back up, around my ribs. She rolled, until my back was to the wall and she continued kissing. I closed my eyes and felt her kiss my neck. Suddenly she was gone. I opened my eyes to see her surrounded by the dance team, as they began to dance to 'Mambo No. 5'. My fists clenched as I tried to get a grasp on my emotions. This woman would make me either combust/explode or throw her hard into the wall and fuck her. I was opting for the second choice, however literally a century of gentlemanly manners were holding me back. Wasn't I against pre-marital sex? Now it was all I could think about. I needed fresh air, no, I needed Bella.

BPOV

Paralyzer came on. I began dancing pulling myself closer to my god. I ran my hands over his hard, muscular chest and instantly began wishing that his shirt wasn't there. I could hardly rip it off in front of everyone though. I contented myself with trying to get as close to him as possible.

_Well I'm not paralyzed but I seem to be struck by you,_

_I wanna make you move, because you're standing still,_

My body was moving of its own accord, and I slowly began to rub against him. His hands tightened comfortably around my waist. He pulled me closer to him and I was tempted to stay, until I remembered Alice's warning; tease him. I twisted behind him, unable to quite leave him yet. I could feel every muscle in his torso as my hands ran down his back. I couldn't help myself. I tucked my fingers into his waistband, wishing that my hands could stray further. Edward surprised me by spinning around, with a pleading look on his face. He was begging me to stop, but not because he was uncomfortable, because he was enjoying it too much. I smiled at him and continued dancing.

_If your body matches what your eyes can do,_

_You'll probably move right through, me on my way to you._

He began t tease me then, running his warm hands under my wig, caressing my hair with the gentlest, yet passionate of touches. I smiled running my hands through his hair too. The silkiness and constant state of unruliness was a major turn on. My body began heating up, and I could feel my underwear start to get wet. Damn him, he was going to kill me, I'd die, I'd burst into flames if he was any sexier. Just then, the dance team called me away to dance to Thriller. I needed something to try and calm me down, to tear me away from the prospect of ripping off his clothes right there.

I went through the routine moves, trying to control my overwhelming desire. How long had it been since our first kiss? It felt like we'd been together forever, yet it was only about a day. As I went through the dance, Alice came up, looking annoyed, yet smug.

"You two. I've seen nearly a hundred different strategies from you in the past hour. Ways to get him into a secluded spot, into the car, the back corner, not even on a few occasions. IN one scenario, you literally ripped his shirt off, right here."

I smiled, feeling embarrassed. Still dancing.

"He's just as bad. Throwing you against the wall, throwing you through the wall, sneaking away to his car... I'm going crazy. Just try and control yourselves okay? If not, go somewhere else!" she laughed and I joined her, walking towards the boys as I saw Emmett lift Edward off of the ground.

"We're all waiting on Mambo No. 5 now. Emmett, put Edward down."

"He hasn't been _down_ since he first saw you in that dress."

It took every ounce of strength not to laugh.

"Come on Em, leave him alone." As soon as Edward was free he pulled me into his chest, spinning me. His mouth was so close to mine. I found myself slightly disoriented and pinned to a wall. He closed the distance and began kissing me again. My core overheated and I could feel my lace panties collecting more moisture. His hands, thankfully stayed on my waist, or my legs would've been wrapped round him. My hands slid down his collar, his chest, to the fabric above his obvious arousal and back up, around his ribs. I rolled him onto the wall, wanting some measure of control. My lips inched away from his mouth, to his neck when I heard the opening line:

"_Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mambo No. 5."_ I ran off to dance to it, or I may just have been arrested for what I was planning. Alice wiped her forehead dramatically, signalling the fact that she was relieved. Jasper looked almost in pain. I wondered why. I began dancing, barely listening to the song, my teammates, wanting nothing more than Edward. I had originally hated the guy, if asked, he would have to be – literally – the last man on earth, before I would've considered doing anything. Now, it was as if he were the only man on earth. I needed Edward.


	12. Morals

EPOV

After that dance, we both seemed to realise that we were going to explode. We danced with everyone else, except each other. There was one dance left until the night finished when we finally got pushed together again. It was, unfortunately, yet so fortunately, a slow dance. I held her comfortably in my arms, realising that I truly wanted to stay with her, the whole night, the next day, the day after that… She pulled herself closer to me, and even though there was nothing sexual about the action I immediately felt my reaction. She did too because she chuckled, blackly, before holding me tighter.

After the dance, she looked into my eyes with such intensity that I forgot my own name. It wasn't passion, although that was there. It was… well something I had never encountered before. I had seen my brothers and sisters share the same look, but I had never received it. It was one of pure love. I kissed her lips gently, so gently and she sighed, smiling. I took her hand and pulled her outside, with all of the other students. Sarah absentmindedly waved a few goodbyes, but her eyes never left mine. Mine never left hers. I hoped I was showing even a fraction of what I could see in her burgundy eyes. It was pitch black outside, but her face seemed illuminated by the expression in her eyes. I brought my hand to rest on her soft neck and the expression flickered. It changed instantly, to passion, desire and desperation. If I was right, she was suffering just as much as I was. I smiled back at her and lifted her into my arms, spinning her around the wall, out of sight.

I slammed us into the wall, with perhaps a little too much force, as fragments of bricks broke off and fell to the floor. Her lips crashed into mine and her legs wrapped around my waist as she pulled herself closer to me. One of my hands was supporting her, the other was exploring her. My hand felt its way down her waist, over her hip and to her smooth thigh. It began to run back up, my fingers sliding under her skirt and she shivered in anticipation. My other hand let go, while my body pressed her harder against the wall. I began running my fingers along her collarbone, my wrist gently grazing her breast through the sheer fabric. She broke the kiss and began kissing down my neck, hovering under my earlobe, before taking it into her mouth and sucking it gently.

Every nerve in my body was supersensitive, on fire. I wanted her so badly; I hadn't believed it possible to need something so much. The hand on her thigh, continued up, until I found the lace of her panties. Her hands slid down my chest, finding their way between the buttons, before I heard my siblings coming. I growled and began to let her down. She looked at me confused and hurt for a moment, until she heard the others, it was then that she sighed, resting her head against my chest.

"Guys, before you go ripping each other's clothes off, you should remember that Sarah's parents want to meet Edward. They may take more kindly to him if he doesn't look like he's had a fling with their daughter." Alice chimed. Sarah laughed and stood still as Alice made her look like I hadn't thrown her against the wall with enough force to smash every bone in the human body. Jasper straightened me up, teasing of course.

…_It isn't that we aren't happy for you. We're glad you are easing up on the 'prude' routine, but you do choose your moments dude. Not that I blame you, all of the girls look fantastic this evening. Maybe you two should find a room and a few hours of free time before you try this again. I don't think there's enough cold water in Forks for the two of you to keep stopping like this…_

I simply sighed. I held Bella's hand, although I slid into the driver's seat. She couldn't tease me from there. If she were any closer to me, we might not have made it home.

BPOV

The last dance of the night, a slow dance, was when we had to dance with each other again. Desire still shot through me at this touch, but as I tried to control it I began to realise that it weas maybe more. I could see us being together for a while, perhaps married someday. Married, like he would ever consider me. I pulled myself closer to him, enjoying the fact that, currently anyway, his feelings seemed genuine. As I pressed myself against him I felt a bulge poking into my lower stomach, and couldn't stop a chuckle. I couldn't read his mind, but his body spoke lectures to me. I simply held him tighter. When I looked into his topaz eyes after the dance, I almost didn't recognize him. I had seen flashes of that look come my way before, but never so intensely, so directly focused at me.

It was love. My 'parents' looked at each other like that all the time. Carlisle and Esme did also, and Rose and Emmett, and Jasper and Alice. Was it truly possible he felt the same way for me? As if answering my question he kissed my lips, ever so softly. I hoped I could return the love he was offering. It had to be hard for him not knowing my thoughts. I could only show him with my actions exactly how I felt. He pulled me outside, with the other students and I heard Angela and Jessica say goodbye. I never stopped looking at Edward, trying to memorise that look, hoping with every fibre of my being that he would look like that whenever he saw me.

I thought that my 'desire' was under control, until his hand touched my neck. Few people know that the neck is one of the erogenous zones in the body. My body sure knew it. The heat flashed through me, focusing on my core and wherever he touched me. I knew that he was still aroused, but did he know that I was? He smiled and suddenly lifted me, spinning us out of sight. My back hit the brick wall and I felt a few pieces of brick topple off of my shoulders.

My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. My heated center was pressed against the fabric of his trousers. The cloth was restricting, annoying and made me feel almost angry. The kisses were incredible, our tongues battling for domination, exploring each other's mouths. His hands were driving me to the point of insanity, especially as one of them slid up my leg, until he gently fingered the edge of my underwear. I couldn't help shivering; it felt so good. He pushed me harder against the wall and let his other hand run across my chest. I began kissing down his neck, trying desperately not to tear his clothing, like I so badly wanted to. As I took his earlobe into my mouth he growled and I instantly wondered what I had done wrong. He began to let me down and I couldn't understand, until I heard Emmett snickering.

My head banged against his chest as I sighed. Such inconvenient timing. Alice pointed out the fact that we were supposed to introduce Edward to my 'parents'. I saw no need to, but they had insisted. It wasn't too late in the night either.

The drive there was alright, if only because I was nervous about what my 'parents' would think about Edward. When we got home, my 'father' opened the door. He immediately looked at Edward, judging him.

"Did you guys have a good time?"

"Excellent. A lot of the time I was with the dance team, but who could resist Thriller?" I joked. He smiled. Edward sat near me, but not close enough for my liking. My 'mother' was amazed by my dress and what I'd done to my hair. I blamed it all on Alice and my 'mother' was immediately impressed.

"Do you need help changing out of your dress Sarah?" she asked sweetly.

"Could you just unhook it please? I can do the zipper by myself." I asked. She did and I scampered off upstairs, leaving Edward with my 'parents'. I could hear the conversation from upstairs as I quickly changed into my pyjamas.

"What are your intentions towards my daughter?"

"I intend to be a very good friend to her, unless she wants to be more. My sister loves her new 'Barbie doll' and my brother finds her very hilarious. I think she's mysterious, almost as if there's a hidden identity with her." I heard Edward reply smoothly. To keep myself busy I began working on the Valentine's present Edward had given me.

"She's hurting. The death of her cousin really shook her, and I swear that if you so much as give her a paper cut, I will hunt you down." My 'father' said. Wow. He wasn't really a violent person. Sarah and I always meant a lot to him. This just proved it. I looked down at the box, bending the little metal rings around the chain, without needing to use pliers. I knew exactly what I was spelling out and it suited us, both of us. It was almost a title, only we both guarded different things within the category. After I checked my spelling, via the internet and put the bracelet on I bounced back downstairs. Edward caught sight of it, but half of the letters weren't facing him. I sat down and listened as my father gave a lecture on being responsible. To hide the fact that I should've been blushing, I hid my face behind my hands.

It wasn't too bad, and after only ten minutes Edward was allowed to go home. I stayed with my parents a little, taking my pill and then disappearing upstairs. Edward was already waiting in my room. He instantly grabbed my hand and read the words the charms spelled.

Custos morum. Guardian of morals.

"What exactly are you implying?" he asked quietly.

"What do you think I'm implying?" I retorted, curious.

"Perhaps maybe you heeded your father's words."

"Which ones?"

"During our talk downstairs, his mind kept reflecting back to a conversation he had with you..."

"About?"

"Premarital intercourse."

"Sex?" I replied, the tiniest hint of a smile in my voice. He seemed almost thoughtful though.

"I was raised in a time where such talk was extremely taboo. You didn't exchange kisses until you were engaged, or planning to be. Anything other than that was forbidden until after marriage. I am beginning to doubt the intentions behind the rules, yet still."

"I understand, don't worry about it." I said. I did understand completely, although I was surprised that the conversation had taken such a serious tone. The bracelet was meant to indicate our different feeding styles, and the morality behind each one.

"It's not that I don't find you incredibly attractive, quite the contrary actually, it's not that I don't think, every moment about things I could be doing to you, damn me to hell for the images that I have constantly running through my brain, it's just that I don't want to ruin your chance at heaven."

Again the conversation had twisted. I tried to not focus on the fact that he had said he daydreamed about me and concentrate on the last part.

"Heaven? After what I did to Sarah I doubt I'm going anywhere near the pearly gates." I whispered bitterly.

"And I have killed many people too. I've also lied, stolen, coveted..."

"And my pretending to be my cousin isn't lying? My going around stealing blood money, pardon the pun, isn't wrong? I'm as damned as you are. What did you ever covet?"

"You." He smiled, leaning in to kiss me chastely. "I wanted you and now I have you." After a brief pause I continued.

"So you would like to leave one rule unbroken?"

"I want to know what you think." He replied.

"Morally, I have no objection. Physically, I can hardly stand in the same room as you without, well, daydreaming, probably more vividly than you realise." I whispered. He smiled again.

"How about this? We go slowly. We decide when the time is right, for both of us."

"That sounds wonderful, as long as the 'we' part is in, I think I'd agree to anything." I hugged him and he sighed.

"Jasper is right. There won't be enough cold water in Forks to keep up with us."

The words 'custos morum' hung in the air that night, as we lay together, simply talking. He was a guardian to me, not only of his morals, and mine, but of humanity's and I loved him for it.


	13. Proposal

BPOV

Of course his family teased. Edward took me on multiple dates, for the benefit of my 'parents' seeing us together. He would invite me to dinner and a movie. We'd hunt, first I'd watch him and then he would watch me, and then we would race. We once made it almost to the American/Canadian border. Alice always told us about the movie we were supposed to have seen, so I could give my 'parents' enough details about the movie that they wouldn't be suspicious. Not that they'd ever guess what we were really doing.

We spent many nights simply laying under the stars, talking. Usually it was books, but Edward would tell me about some of the endless pranks Emmett played, or the tirade of shopping sprees Alice and Rosalie would go through. He told me about the years he had studied at universities, medical degrees, like his father.

"Unfortunately I'm too young looking to ever pass for anything past twenty five, so I could never actually practice as a real doctor."

"Well I think I could've done alright. I have the control around blood that's for sure." I smiled.

"What did you want to be when you grew up?" Edward asked.

"I was always extremely clumsy, and not very good at much besides reading, so I always assumed I'd end up as an English literature professor somewhere." I shrugged. He seemed fascinated.

"But you're such a talented dancer."

"Copycat, and only after the change."

"Interesting."

"What about your music?"

"I could always be a famous composer if I wanted, however it would be very difficult to stay hidden and out of the public view."

"Develop an alias and wear a disguise." I laughed. "It's not like it hasn't been done before."

We had many such conversations, more often arguing than not, but that was what we both loved about each other. And so many times, we had gotten close to losing control, so close to tearing the clothes off of each other, usually in public places also. Forks really would run out of cold water.

EPOV

It took me a while to figure out how I was going to do it. I enlisted Carlisle's help and found quite a buffet of choices. I took a blanket, wrapped in plastic so it wouldn't get wet and an electronic keyboard. That I had some difficulty getting to the cave without getting it wet or broken. Eventually everything was ready.

"Bella?" I asked. She turned away from the chess game Jasper and her were playing. I leant over and kissed her ear.

"Would you come with me? I want to show you something." I whispered so low that not even Jasper could hear it.

"You're helping her cheat? You are unfair, dear brother." Jasper sighed and flicked over his king.

"Actually I wasn't, but she's glad you forfeit." I replied smoothly. Jasper growled and went to find Alice.

_Evil, cheating, stupid, sadistic vampire brother..._

Bella took my hand and I kissed her, gently, feeling her body press up against mine as she returned the kiss. I then pulled her outside.

"Do you remember our first game of hide and seek?"

"Yes." She said, making it sound more like a question than an answer. I started running at an easy pace, until she overtook me, racing for the meadow. She stopped by the stream. She looked around, suspicious.

"What am I doing here?"

"Do you not like it?"

"Of course I do. It's our meadow." She looked down shyly, twining her fingers. I took her hands in my own and began to spin her gently around, lifting her into the air, watching the mist swirl around her curly brown locks.

"What's gotten into you tonight?" she laughed, leaning in to kiss me.

"You remember where we went next?"

"Silly question."

"Race you." And I took off as fast as my legs would carry me. I got there first, diving neatly into the bubbling water. I quickly surfaced in the cave and watched as she followed. Her head breached the surface and she glared at me, until she saw the candles. The air smelled still of the water, but now of fire also, a subtle yet distinct scent. In the middle of the cave I had set a blanket and we had six wine bottles, filled with donated blood. She smiled at the scent as she got out, the green-gray water dripping off of her beautiful figure. Her clothes and hair were plastered to her body, as I'm sure mine were. She pulled off her jacket and shoes and sat sinuously on the blanket. Her eyes caught sight of the keyboard and she smiled at me.

"Going to play something?"

"One condition. Will you dance for me?" I asked, sitting beside her, pressing my arms against her while I brushed the hair out of her face. She smiled and kissed me, chastely.

"Only for you would I dance on request."

I smiled at her and picked up the closest bottle.

"But first? A drink, to your health." She laughed merrily as I poured the red liquid into our glasses.

"Mmm, smells like fifty two, male, healthy." I joked. Honestly we had no way to tell, nearly all blood smelled the same, just some were more mouth-watering than others.

"Why have you brought me here?" she asked, smiling, clearly happy with the way the night was going.

"You object? Well then." I stood and was about to dive back into the water when a pair of strong legs wrapped around my waist. She was on my back and she had covered my eyes, as if that would stop me from leaving. Well it might.

"I do not object, kind sir, I merely wish to inquire as to the motivation of the act." She whispered into my ear. I wanted this beautiful woman so much, in so many ways.

"Two motivations."

"Well?"

I pulled her off of my back and sat down beside the keyboard. The notes I played hummed around the cave in the most beautiful acoustics I had heard in a while. Bella listened for a moment to the notes and before I could blink she was dancing. Her beautiful body was the music. She wasn't a separate entity dancing to the notes. It was as if she were creating the notes with her very actions. Every way her arms and legs bent and twisted corresponded with a note. I knew she hadn't heard this song before. I had written it for her. It was the essence of Bella, and yet it had a second rhythm to it, one that was Sarah. Her moves enticed me, until I barely registered the fact that I was in fact playing the accompanying notes.

When both the song and she came to a still neither of us moved. If either of us had been human, we would have been crying. The dance was that beautiful, that moving. This was why I wanted to marry her. She not only completed the world, but my world. She made me feel worthwhile, like I perhaps wasn't the monster I had so often placed myself with.

I moved first. I took a few steps towards her and she looked at me. Neither of us had spoken yet. When I was directly in front of her I lowered myself to one knee and slipped my hand into my pocket. I pulled out the ring, my mother's ring and held it up to her.

"Isabella?" she took a deep breath when I did. "Will you marry me?"

She looked into my eyes and I saw a flash of pain first, then of extreme happiness. She simply nodded, still unable to speak. The feelings that coursed through me made Jasper swear. I had thought we were out of his range. Obviously not though.

_What the fuck? I've never felt so happy in my entire existence!..._

I smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger.

BPOV

"Isabella?" He breathed and I remembered to do so also. "Will you marry me?"

The ring was beautiful, just like him. An antique I guessed, as it didn't quite look like something you would find in Tiffany's. Sarah had always said I'd get married first, being a hopeless romantic, and that she'd never find the right guy. With all my being I wished she could be here, to share this with me. I could almost see the 'I told you so' expression on her face.

He wanted to marry me. I wanted to marry him. I had never thought I would want to get married, my mother and father had had a very strained marriage. Even my 'mother' and 'father' weren't always happy. I could never understand why you would want to spend every minute of your day with anyone. Until I met Edward. Yes I wanted to marry him. A million times had I day-dreamed this moment. I couldn't speak I was so happy. So I nodded. The look in his eyes was reward enough. I had never seen anyone look so joyous. He kept calm though, and slipped the ring onto my finger.

Neither of us spoke. We just lay together, listening to the sounds of the cave, watching each other. The first hints of sunlight peeked through the opening and I realised I had to go. My 'parents' would be waking soon. I stroked his face and pulled the ring off, attaching it to the bracelet I had from him. He nodded approvingly. Sarah's parents wouldn't be quite so fond of their daughter coming home married to a guy she'd been officially dating for a few weeks. It had actually been months and I had seen him every night. We had spent every moment possible together.

I stood and looked around at the mess. The candles had mostly melted, coating the rocks with wax. The blanket and a few bottles of blood were still set up. The keyboard was resting, waiting to be played again. Once an untouched haven it was now an almost civilised spot. Edward kissed me, silently assuring me he'd clean up. I kissed back, silently telling him I'd see him later.

I got home and didn't speak. My left hand felt heavier, as if the ring were there. The first word I spoke that day was to Alice.

"Hi."

She turned to me and hugged me hard.

"Please let me plan it? Please? I promise to you it will be the best ever! I planned both of mine and all of Rosalie's weddings." I nodded.

"Don't go overboard." I warned. I searched for Edward, not seeing him.

"He's busy, cleaning up." Alice told me as I opened my mouth to ask. I smiled and continued, getting a hug from Jasper and Emmett. I received a nod from Rosalie. Maybe she disapproved of the engagement. I hoped not, as it would make living with them very awkward. The morning was a blur, until I saw Edward. He was waiting for me, right outside of my class, when it came time for lunch. I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him emphatically. It was the largest PDA I had ever shown him in school. I didn't really care. I had Edward now.

He laughed.

"Hello, my love." He whispered.

"I think I've said four words all day." I told him.

"Why?"

"I've just been thinking a lot."

We simply held hands during lunch. I didn't bother talking, as Edward's siblings filled the lunch hour with conversation, talk of money and bets about different things Edward and I would do.

"This is what you're getting yourself into, Sarah. Do you honestly want to be a part of this?" he motioned towards the others. They were an insane lot. Alice and her shopping, Rose and her cars, Emmett and his pranks, Jasper and his mind tricks, Edward and his music, Carlisle and his medical obsession, Esme and her renovating. What normal vampires had human hobbies like that? But they weren't normal, and neither was I.

"Yes." I did.


	14. Talking and Tears

We still had an entire year before we could even think about actually getting married, at least that's what I told Edward. He, unlike the other members of his family, understood that my two halves were more interconnected than they appeared. Bella couldn't be married unless Sarah was. It was a difficult thing to comprehend, and I was well aware that it made me seem insane, but I didn't feel right without it.

I passed all of my courses with flying colours, as did Edward and the others. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper were now official graduates and never had to set foot in Forks high again, so they were understandably happy. I was a lot happier, now that I had a summer of messing around with the Cullens to look forward to. The baseball lesson was fun.

"I'm going to break it." I warned.

"You'll be fine." Edward assured me. He stood, pitching gently to me. This was when I swung the bat up and around, smashing it into smithereens upon contact with Jasper's head, who was standing behind me, ready to catch. If I could've blushed I would've been. The entire family burst into laughter, including Jasper, who was now picking wood fragments out of his hair. I buried my face in my hands, so glad that the only one here who really knew how I was feeling was the one I had just hit. He hugged me right along with the others and from that point on I refused to play.

I sat, watching as Alice bounded around the field, looking like a dancer, as Carlisle ran, grace being his strongest quality. Emmett used strength, Rosalie agility, Jasper focused on technique, each of his strides paced perfectly to give him the maximum amount of power. Edward was the most beautiful. I had seen him run, as we often hunted together, but he seemed so graceful, so powerful, lost in his own happiness as he ran after Emmett, who had stolen the ball, instead of hitting it.

"He didn't used to be like this." Esme said. I was thrown by her statement.

"Who, what?" I asked.

"Edward. Happy." Esme smiled, placing her hand on my cheek. "He used to be such a solitary being, always wanting confinement. He had a very quick, dry, sarcastic sense of humour, but other than that... he was moody, snappy, opinionated, too logical, and too assertive. He never truly accepted what he was. What we are. He was the most damaged of all my children, which is saying something."

I laughed in response. It certainly was.

"He seemed like that at first. But he softened up. I assumed that he was like this all the time and hadn't liked me because I was new."

"Oh no. He was like that all the time, and began changing because of you."

I looked over at her, worried. She laughed quickly.

"It's nothing bad, I promise you. I have never seen him so joyous. It warms my heart to think that he has found someone he loves so much. He always said that he was never really one for the whole 'soul mate business' but now he can't get enough of you. I think it's beautiful."

I leaned over and hugged her. She smiled and hugged back.

"By the way, the men are going hunting tonight, so us girls are going to have some fun. If you call Sarah's parents and ask to just stay over, you won't have to make the trips there and back."

"Oh, because it's so time consuming." I muttered sarcastically. I was a little anxious. I hadn't had a 'girls night' for years, and I didn't particularly want to be questioned to death, which knowing Alice and Rose I would be. Maybe Esme would protect me.

EPOV

The girls had warned me that they would be kidnapping Bella. I prayed for her sanity. Esme and Alice could be quite vicious. Rose was the only one with a firm head on her shoulders and Bella's aversion to shopping had shattered her carefully composed calmness. I wondered if my future wife would be alive by the time we got back. I could see all the plans the girls had and I knew she would hate every one of them. After a chaste kiss with Bella, we all climbed into Emmett's jeep. I didn't complain as he drove, instead I tried to focus on when I would see her next.

"I still don't get it." Emmett sighed.

"Don't get what?" Carlisle asked. I picked the question easily from Emmett's head.

"Bella and Sarah. The two sides of her, how they connect and why she doesn't just drop one." I sighed, it was difficult to explain, even I only understood parts of it.

"To Bella, killing Sarah was the worst crime ever imaginable. She would've even chosen to kill her parents instead. It's a harsh thing to say, but Bella and Sarah, when they were two human girls, were as closely tied as sisters, more so in some ways. Losing Sarah was like losing her other half. To complete herself, she became Sarah. To make up for her sins, she tortures herself daily, eating, being around everything that reminds her of Sarah, when she'd rather forget. She took her name, and destroyed her own. She now stares her real parents in the face and pretends she doesn't really know them. She pretends to love Sarah's parents as her own, living a facade, a horrible twisted story, that has tortured her in every way possible. Now Sarah and Bella have melded. I wouldn't be surprised if she never gives up Sarah, if she clings to her for eternity, to punish herself, for eternity." I sighed. Bella could never be whole without Sarah, and I could never truly be whole with her. I would never ask Bella to give up Sarah however, I would never want to hurt her.

"Which one are you in love with?" Jasper asked quietly. He always pegged the good questions.

"Bella. I love Sarah, but I could never be in love with her. Even when they dance, it's different. Sarah performed a dance, and all of the moves were co-ordinated, careful, perfect and wonderful. But when Bella danced, she was the music. It was as if she were creating the notes herself. Bella is shy, yet witty, sharp as a blade, yet warm and tender. Sarah seems fake to me, always happy, never with any problems. She's perfect. Too perfect." I realised that I had been rambling and mentally kicked myself. "But what do I know?"

We spent the rest of the trip in silence, although I could hear the others contemplating what I'd said. Emmett decided to break the ice, once we were out of the jeep.

"So how goes it in the sexual department? Jazz says you're pretty frustrated." He joked. I wrestled him to the ground, my fingers digging into his throat.

"Edward, we're guys, having a guy talk. It's what the girls are doing now."

"Having a guy talk?" I joked, but raised myself off of Emmett anyway. He stood, massaging his neck.

"Ten thousand says I catch a bear."

"Ten on a lion."

"Ten on a wolf." Jasper smiled.

"Ten says none of the above." Carlisle predicted. And so we began the hunt. Jasper won, and we all instantly suspected him of cheating; his wife was a fortune teller after all. He swore he wasn't. I backed him up, detecting no hint of deception.

"How far have you two gone?" Emmett asked. _Rose was betting that you pinned her after you popped the question, but I think you're too much of a prude._

"No farther than what you've all witnessed, however if you'd all keep your noses out, we probably would've done something by now."

"Who wanted to wait?" Jasper asked.

"Mutual." I replied.

"How long till you ask Sarah to marry you?"

"About a year."

And so the questions rained on.

BPOV **(A/N – I cried writing this chapter. I'm such a suck though, especially for sad things. I cried at my own writing... how lame is that?)**

"So you and Edward are serious then?" Alice asked.

"I guess."

"What are you going to do after you and Edward get married?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Rosalie clarified, "You're not getting any older and your parents are bound to notice."

"I thought I could kind of die, to them anyway, and then escape. With Carlisle as a doctor it would be easier to fake now. I wouldn't have to break out of my own coffin."

"So you're going to kill Sarah? After all this trouble in keeping her alive?"

"I... I have to."

"You've known this for a while now." Alice said.

"Yes."

"Then why keep up the facade? Her parents are going to be all the more devastated when she dies." Rosalie asked, folding her arms. I felt the despair filling me up. "You didn't keep her alive for them did you? You kept her alive for you, so that you could hold onto her for that little bit longer. I think she's your escape now. If something troubles Bella, you become Sarah, no troubles, no pain."

"That's not true!" I cried. I wrapped my arms around my chest, holding myself together.

"And when you can't stand seeing Sarah's parents because the pain gets too much, you become her, and it all goes away. You're their daughter, you have nothing to worry about, right?"

I was past hurt; I was bordering anger, hideous and violent anger. If Rose didn't stop...

"You keep Sarah alive because it's easier for you. Her parents have lost their daughter, they just thought it was for a different reason. You claim to be a guardian of morals, not hurting others. You constantly hurt them." At this point I was ready to snap her neck. "And it's killing Edward."

My anger deflated instantly, to be replaced by horror.

"What?" I asked, pain layered in my voice.

"Edward is fine." Alice said, her eyes flashing angrily at Rosalie. Rosalie stopped and stared out of the window. I turned to Esme.

"What is hurting Edward?" I asked quietly.

"Sarah. He understands you more than any of us, Bella. He understands why you keep her alive, why you continue the disguise, why you torture yourself, but it hurts him. Sarah keeps causing you pain. Every time you look in the mirror you're hurt, and you have no idea how painful it is for Edward to see that. He won't tell you to let her go, because he believes you need her. He doesn't love Sarah, he loves Bella. His love keeps disappearing and it hurts him. To see you every day in school, but not see _you_. He feels selfish for not wanting her, he beats himself up over it. He's in a lot more pain than any of us realise, and I don't think Jasper has told me all of it."

I sank to the floor, digesting that information. I only meant to ever hurt and punish myself, not Edward, not the first person to love me for me. I kept Sarah alive to pacify her parents at first, but I really was just being selfish. If I were capable of tears I would be crying. I hugged myself tightly. Three pairs of arms circled me and I sat on the floor, sobbing for what seemed like an eternity.

Eventually I stopped and we all began to relax. Alice, Esme and Rosalie deemed it time to give me a makeover and I was thrown into various outfits. We decided to go clubbing later, when the boys returned. Until then I was plagued with outfits and questions.

"How far have you and Edward gone?"

"To the moon and back, just before you arrived."

"Bella!"

"Nowhere. It's just kissing."

"Lustfully."

"Yes, that." I admitted.

"Do you want to go further?"

"I suppose. It's whatever he's comfortable with I suppose."

"What do you feel when you touch him?"

"Are you kidding me? It's like I suddenly become a livewire. I get so turned on that it isn't fair. And that's just when he kisses me..." I winced at the outfit they had on me now. The dress was so short that if I bent over a little you could see everything. It could honestly be a shirt if you wanted it to be.

"Wow. If Edward sees you in that, you won't have to worry about the whole frustration thing." Rosalie said. I was so glad I couldn't blush.

I wanted to run back and check on Mouse while my parents were sleeping. He was making me nervous the past few days. He had been trying to stay as close to me as possible and would just lay with me. I wondered if he was in more pain than I realised. When I got into my room, Mouse was laying wearily on my bed. I lay beside him, burying my nose into his fur. He whimpered slightly and I ran my hands comfortingly over his body.

"What's wrong Mouse? Are you still hurting?" I whispered. He looked at me, his watery brown eyes seeming calm and knowing. It was odd. I had never seen him like this before. An uneasy feeling began pooling in my stomach.

"Mouse?"

Mouse snuggled closer to me, laying his head on my chest. He began sighing and closed his eyes. I listened warily for my parents, or anything strange that could be causing his odd behaviour.

Thump, thump, thump. 'Mom' her heartbeat and breathing were fine.

Thump, thump, thump. 'Dad' his heartbeat and breathing were fine.

Drip. Drip. The tap downstairs.

Thump...thu-thump...thu...mp. Mouse's heart was irregular, too slow and fading quickly.

"Mouse?" I whispered, sobbing. God no. Please, not him. Mouse opened one eye and 'smiled' at me. You could see it in his eyes. He knew what was happening, he had known for days. He had probably been holding on, just so that I could be with him when he finally...

"Mousy? Please hang on. You're only ten. You can keep going, right?" I was sounding desperate now.

Thump.

Breath in.

Thu-mp.

Breath out.

Breath in.

Thump.

Thu-mp...

Thu...

Breath out.

Silence...

Silence...

Silence...

I stayed with his body until Alice and Rosalie found me, nearly an hour later.

Mouse was gone. He wasn't the only one to have died though. Sarah left with him.


	15. To the Wolves

I was still stroking Mouse, hoping that he would return.

"Sarah?" Alice asked.

"Sarah is dead." I replied bitterly. Alice and Rose stepped back slightly.

"I don't understand." I couldn't alienate her; she was one of my only friends. However the words kept spewing from my mouth, as if I had no control over them.

"Get out and leave me alone. I don't want to see you, any of you. It's Edward's fault Mouse was injured in the first place." My voice was rising in tempo and volume. "If none of you had moved here, I would be fine, and Sarah and Mouse would still be here! Get out! Now!"

I had never seen Alice look so distraught or guilty. She left without another word and I could've sworn I heard her sob as she fled my house. Rosalie glared at me, before she left too. My hand was still moving over Mouse's cool fur. There was nothing there anymore. I may as well have been holding a stuffed animal. I buried my nose into his neck, to wait for the moment when Sarah's parents would find us. No. They couldn't find us. I wouldn't let them. They wouldn't know what happened to Sarah. I had to disappear, to run away. Far away.

Edward.

I didn't want to leave him. But how could he consider loving me now? I had spoken so rudely to his sister, about his family, I wasn't worthy of love anymore. I wasn't worthy of anything anymore. I left Mouse on Sarah's bed and stole all evidence that suggested I was Bella, spare wigs and such. I left her parents a note, saying that I was going to meet Bella. A sure indication that I wanted to kill myself. Maybe they would search for the body for a few months, but they would find nothing. Both Sarah and Bella will finally be together.

I would never get Sarah back.

I could never die. I would have to find a way. Edward and his family mentioned something about the Quileute wolves. Wasn't that a legend on the reservation? I had never had any reason to go that far, especially as my hunting grounds were south west of forks, and the reservation was north east. Literally opposites. If I went there, would they kill me? Could I finally be with Sarah?

But I would be leaving Edward.

That thought sent ripples of pain through me. What did I want? Did I want my new love? Or my old one? Sarah wouldn't be pleased with me if I just threw my life away. Would she mind if I stayed with my fiancé? Could I handle leaving Edward?

No. No I couldn't. I was in our meadow by the time I had made this revelation. I collapsed, all the evidence of Bella's existence around me. I don't know how long I was there, but distantly I could hear voices calling Sarah's name. It began to rain and I lay in the mud, simply vegetative...until he came.

"No, Bella! Bella, please!" Edward's strong hands wrapped around my own, pulling me upright. "Please, Bella, come back to me." Come back? Where was I going?

"Please Bella, don't do this. I'm here. Everything will be okay. I'm taking you somewhere safe, alright?"

Why did he act as though I was about to explode or something? Edward wrapped his arms under my legs and began to carry me somewhere. He was following the river. But which way? Were we heading to the cave, or his house. I doubted his family would want to see me again, so obviously to the cave. I waited for the impending sound of the waterfall. I didn't hear it, instead I heard a door slam open and Esme's worried voice. I was wrong.

"Edward! Bella! Quickly, bring her inside." Once I was inside, everyone was there, including Alice and Rosalie. Rose looked pissed again, Alice just looked worried, as if she had already forgiven me. Carlisle and Jasper were the ones to approach me, still in Edward's arms. I just wanted to die. It would be so much easier, surely?

"Bella, you'll be alright." Carlisle said. "Nothing will happen to you, we promise."

"What?" I finally managed. Why would anything happen to me?

"The wolves, the Quileute tribe has been asked to help search for you. When they smell vampire in Sarah's room, they immediately assume the worst, they follow your scent and kill you." Alice whispered.

"Then you shouldn't have brought me here!" I screamed, jumping from Edward's arms. "They'll blame you! They'll kill you!"

"Bella," Edward pulled me back into his grasp. "Nothing will happen, I promise. We've dealt with the wolves before. Their leaders are incredibly understanding and there will be no fight, I promise you."

As he spoke those words he stiffened, looking around at everyone.

"They're here."

Carlisle pointed to Edward and Jasper, motioning for them to come. I leapt in front of the door, before they could move.

"No, this is my fight. I will not get you involved because of my stupidity." I backed out of the door and heard a few ferocious growls behind me. Carlisle and Edward followed me out, despite my protests.

"I am not leaving my fiancée to fend for herself. What kind of a gentleman would I be?" Edward whispered as he wrapped his arms protectively around me. "Besides, I have to translate, they're not going to be human when talking."

I had a feeling that this wouldn't go too well. None of the wolves had ceased their growling, and all of them were staring, hungrily at me. Carlisle moved in front of me slightly, his hands up in surrender.

"We do not mean you any harm."

"_My ass you don't_." Edward said, his eyes on the first wolf.

"_Leah, be quiet_." Edward continued. "_My name is Sam. You are currently holding the vampire who murdered one of the town's own_."

"Yes, we are. But not in the way you believe." Carlisle said. "This is Isabella, Sarah's cousin. She has been living in Forks, as a vampire, for over a year now."

"_Impossible_!" Edward retorted.

"Over a year ago, a coven of vampires entered Forks and came across Bella. They changed her. Mere moments after her transformation had completed itself, Sarah came across Bella. Bella killed Sarah that day."

I whimpered and buried myself into Edward's chest. The wolves were still confused.

"Since then, Bella has taken Sarah's place, in order to let her parents be spared the grief of having lost a child. She has lived among the people of Forks for the rest of that time."

"_You lie_." Edward said.

"They don't." I whispered.

"There's nothing but a jumbled mess now, they're all thinking and changing plans at once." Edward, as himself, whispered to me. I hugged him harder, hoping with all my might that we would somehow get out of this.

"I will serve whatever sentence you choose." I said. Edward looked at me horrified, as the wolves fell silent.

"Bella, no, they'll kill you."

"A life for a life right?" I said. Edward pulled me closer, pleading with me.

"I will not let them hurt you. Please don't hurt her, I will do anything you ask."

"We all will." Carlisle interrupted. One of the wolves stood up on its hind legs. The air seemed to sizzle around him and suddenly a naked man stood before us.

"Will you leave and promise never to return if we spare the newborn?"

"I would like a moment to discuss this with my family, if that is alright with you?" Carlisle asked.

"Two minutes."

Edward pulled me inside.

"No, I have to pay for what I've done."

"Bella! We all love you and we will not let you be ripped apart and burned by these wolves. It is no hassle for us never to return here, we have hundreds of places all over the world." Carlisle said. "We will vote. Who sides with Bella?" No one raised their hands. Carlisle nodded. "Thank you, all of you."

Carlisle and Edward walked out as I sank to the floor. I could hear them talking about giving us time to leave.

"I don't deserve you all. Especially after what I said to Alice and Rosalie." I began sobbing quietly as Alice, and surprisingly, Rosalie wrapped their arms around me.

"We love you. Edward loves you. We already consider you a part of this family. Families look out for each other. Don't ever think we won't do anything for you Bella, okay?"

"Thank you."

The wolves gave us two days to leave. Everything got frantic, and obviously expensive, but the Cullens acted as though this was a regular routine for them. Perhaps it was. I went to the meadow one last time, right before we had to leave. No one was with me, but I felt someone slide their hand into mine. I didn't look, knowing that I wouldn't see anything, but suddenly a sense of peace and happiness filled me.

"I love you too Sarah. I'll miss you. Every day."

The pressure increased on my hand, as if someone had given it a light squeeze and then disappeared altogether. The peaceful feeling remained, long after she left, and it continued, even when Edward found me and began leading me back to the house. A house we would never see again.


	16. Tanya

**A/N - I just want to let you know how much I appreciate all of your reviews. I know that many of my fans are consistently reviewing all of my stories and I thank you. Check out my profile - I've added quotes from an English comedian. I also have a new story that I am debating on continuing. Let me know if you like it! Be patient with me!**

BPOV

We were going to Alaska. I couldn't fathom why. I still hated snow and rain and we were just moving to another, snowy rainy place. I was sitting, rather sullenly in the passenger seat of Edward's Volvo.

"Bella, my love, what's wrong?" Edward looked pained.

"Nothing, just upset about the weather really." I squeezed his hand. "I'll get over it eventually, I suppose. Where are we going?"

"Alaska." He replied, smiling.

"I knew that. I did manage to see the sign that said 'Welcome to Alaska'." I rolled my eyes. Edward frowned at me.

"Really, I thought they took that down?" he mused, sending me into a small fit of giggles. "We're going to visit a few friends of ours, then we have a house a little further north than theirs."

"Friends as in?"

"Vampires." He said, nonchalantly. I sunk down into my seat a little. I had only really met one family of vampires, apart from my attackers. What would I say? Were they all as crazy as the Cullens? I had no idea what to do. I looked down at my apparel and suddenly got very self conscious. I was wearing one of Edward's old shirts, buttons undone, with a tank-top and a simple pair of jeans. My hair was in a loose braid down my back.

"You couldn't have warned me? I look awful." I said, running my fingers over my jeans, worriedly. Edward took my hands in his.

"You couldn't look more lovely if you tried. Believe me, love, if they find a fault in you, it will be minor. Perhaps they won't understand your accent." Edward teased. I smirked and pulled on a full cockney accent.

"Shut ye mouth yer full of English lit." I said. **(A/N – Shut up, you're full of shit)** Edward chuckled and I rolled my eyes again. We had a long way to drive. I saw a deer and called it.

"Deer."

"What?"

"There was a deer." It felt almost like the 'punch-buggy' game. So I explained that game to him and soon enough we were on the lookout for animals, but instead of punching each other, we were keeping points. Whoever reached fifty first got to tell the other to do something. By the end of ten minutes I was at forty-nine, Edward at forty-eight. I finally saw it.

"Caribou!" I yelled, triumphantly. Edward sighed, disgusted.

"You've made me thirsty." He complained. I chuckled, thinking about my request. I immediately regretted it as soon as I thought of it. Edward must've seen something in my face because he slowed the car.

"What? What do you want me to do?" Oh, he left it open-ended. Not good. I was a teenager with raging hormones, even if I was a vampire. I shook my head, biting my lip.

"I will do it, within reason. I'm not streaking or anything." He said. I chuckled again.

"I'm just worried what you'll think of me when I ask." I admitted. He pulled my face towards his, breathing into my face, his sweet scent making me slightly light-headed for a moment.

"I would never think ill of you."

"Can we... I mean... would you consider," my face would be red right now, were I human. "Would you maybe make out with me in the backseat?" I closed my eyes as soon as I said it, only to hear his laugh.

"Is that all? I'd love to. We are definitely going to be late anyway, why not arrive with mussed up hair and ripped clothing?" he teased, climbing into the backseat first. He had pulled the car over, into a parking lot. I clambered into the back after him and he lay me down on top of him.

"This what you had in mind?"

I could barely think straight.

"Something like this yeah." I managed, running my fingers through his hair. He moaned softly and pulled my lips to his. And then we were lost.

I could think of nothing but him, everywhere he was touching me, caressing me. My hands managed to unbutton his shirt and I ran my fingers over his beautifully sculpted chest. His hands ran up and down my back, to my hips, pulling me closer to him and up along my thighs, inching closer to my butt. I moaned in encouragement and his hands finally moved the last few inches, tucking them gently into my jeans' pockets. Our tongues clashed and Edward and I began fighting for dominance. He tasted fantastic, better than he smelled. We continued for goodness knows how long until I felt something vibrate...in Edward's crotch. I shot back slightly, confused and he growled, pulling out a cell phone. I laughed quietly.

"What did you two get lost? We've been waiting nearly thirty minutes." Emmett's amused voice came from the phone. I plucked the phone from Edward's hand.

"Hey Em. I just wanted to let you know. I won a contest between Edward and myself and was making him complete the punishment. You interrupted the stoic Edward doing the Macarena." I said. Edward opened and closed his mouth like a fish, angry, but not _really_ angry with me. Emmett's laughter was the last thing the cell phone received as Edward smashed it in my hand.

"The Macarena?" he asked, almost bitterly.

"What would you rather I say? That we were running through third base in the back of your Volvo?" I retorted. Edward considered that for a moment.

"No, I think the Macarena would have less teasing behind it. Well done." He smiled, kissing me one last time, before climbing into the driver's seat. I did up his shirt as he drove, and re-did my hair. We looked like nothing had happened by the time we pulled into the garage of a mansion, similar to the Cullen's house. Edward opened my door for me and I rolled my eyes, thanking him anyway. I was immediately met with Alice's giggling.

"The Macarena?" She asked. She had seen what had happened.

"Edward's a pretty good dancer." I shrugged. His hand snaked its way into my back pocket again. I wrapped my arms around his waist as he stood to the side of me. Emmett began doing the Macarena in front of us and I heard three new sets of laughter coming from the side. I turned to see three seriously beautiful women, one of them looking curiously at me.

"Where are Carmen and Eleazar?" Edward asked.

"Talking with Carlisle and Esme."

"Edward, why don't you introduce us? Is this beautiful girl with you?" I noticed how she said 'girl'. Edward did too as he stiffened slightly.

"Tanya, this is my fiancée, Bella." Edward said. "Bella, this is Tanya, this is Irina, and this is Kate."

"Honoured to meet you." I muttered, shyly. Kate and Irina pulled me away instantly, asking about me, my interests, my relationship with Edward. Tanya and Edward disappeared.

EPOV

As soon as Tanya saw Bella, her thoughts ran away from her.

_There's nothing special about her. She's so plain, and look at her eyes. The red is such an awful colour. How could Edward have possibly chosen her over me? What do I know? She could be nice. Never will she match up to me though. Look how possessively she clings to him! I would too were I that dull. He could drop her at any minute._

She must've seen the murderous look in my eyes, as did the other sisters.

_You were listening?_

_We'll keep Bella busy, Edward, you sort Tanya out. I don't want to know what she was thinking._ Kate thought to me.

When Bella was safe in the hands of the succubae sisters I walked straight upstairs, into Tanya's room. She followed, proudly and stubbornly.

"It should've been me."

"I love her, not you and I never have. I will not have you thinking about my fiancée in such a manner."

"What does she have that I don't?"

"Everything. She is so much more complex than you could ever realise, and every day she surprises me. I love her, for all of her quirks and oddities and I have never been more attracted to a woman in all my life."

"She's barely a woman."

"She is more of a woman than you could ever hope to be. At least she has the decency to be shy and vague instead of specifically harsh and derogatory."

Tanya stepped back slightly, miffed.

"Control your thoughts about her, or leave my presence. Get to know her Tanya. You may find out that you like her much more than you realise. She will surprise you, I promise."

I went to find my fiancée. I needed to calm down, especially after Tanya had riled me so. I wrapped my arms around Bella, ignoring the fact that I was interrupting the conversation. She stroked my hair gently, and I calmed down in a matter of seconds.


	17. Anger and Love

Edward stayed a silent observer, simply hugging me as I talked. I could feel his tenseness and made it my job to relax him quickly. Kate and Irina were intimidating at first but they were akin to Rosalie; beautiful but complex. Kate seemed rather like Alice in many ways and as soon as I thought that, Alice spun in as if to prove it.

"Katie!"

"Ali!"

"Oh how I've missed you! Did you catch the Spring line in Paris?"

"Fabulous wasn't it? Some of the pieces were daringly similar to the Summer line in Milan, ninety eight."

"I noticed that, especially..." They both disappeared, linking arms and wandering off, still muttering about fashion lines. Irina rolled her eyes and Edward, still latched onto me, chuckled.

"I feel sorry for Jasper. He comes second, when they're talking about clothes. At least Kate doesn't have a mate, she can have whatever hobbies she pleases." Irina looked away for a moment, as if contemplating something.

"Do you have a mate?" I asked quietly. Irina turned to me gently.

"Yes, but we've only just gotten together really. He doesn't follow our lifestyle, and is new to the prospect of vegetarianism, so I'm not letting him move here yet."

"I don't hunt like the Cullens." I said. Irina recoiled slightly. "But I don't kill humans either!" I rectified.

"Then how do you hunt?"

"With a lot of control. It takes a while to explain and I'd rather keep this visit light, not dreary." I looked around. "Show me the house?" I asked. Irina and Edward took me on a tour and I met everybody, feeling a little intimidated by Eleazar. He and Carlisle were peas in a pod, ancient and wise, yet still young and happy. Their house was beautiful, it had a spectacular view of snowy mountains and a surprisingly clear sky.

"It's been forever since I've seen the stars." I said.

"What a pity." Tanya's voice came from behind me. I wheeled around to see her standing casually against the doorframe. Edward tensed behind me again and I rubbed soothing circles into his hand.

"I've lived in Forks, under constant cloud cover, and England, also under cloud cover, although less, admittedly. I like being able to see the stars. It makes one feel so small." I said.

"I've never paid them much mind really. It must be something about the younger generations, Carlisle and Eleazar, born both after I, have taken a fascination to astronomy also." She was older than Carlisle? The thought made me uneasy. She was dangerous. It was Edward's turn to comfort me.

"There are three vampires heading this way." Edward said suddenly. Tanya looked at him surprised.

"Oh, yes. Irina's mate and his coven. We weren't expecting them for a few days." She disappeared and Edward took me inside also. The Cullen family, me included stood off to the side. Jasper piggy-backing Alice, and Emmett wrapping his arms around Rosalie's waist. Edward still had his hand in my jeans pocket. Carlisle and Esme were sitting comfortably together on a couch, Carmen and Eleazar were with them. Kate and Tanya were sitting at the back, talking quietly to each other and Tanya was giving rather meaningful glares to me. Irina flew out of the door, greeting someone.

"Laurent!"

"Irina!" The two lovers came in first. Laurent was a looker – but then again all vampires were – with a faint French accent to his voice. He kissed Irina on the cheek and she began to introduce us. It was when the other two walked in that I froze. _Them. _They were the ones responsible for my death and ultimately, Sarah's. As soon as they entered the room I leapt, grabbing the woman by the neck and pressing my teeth against her marble skin. She tried to struggle, but was in an awkward position to help. When her mate tried to help, Edward jumped in, growling with such a ferocity that it frightened even me.

Carlisle was the one to call order.

"Jasper!" he said. Suddenly I felt extremely calm, and had almost forgotten why I was so violently attached to the woman. My growls and snarls lessened but did not cease. I was far too angry for Jasper's gift to take full effect. I did not relinquish my hold, but did force myself to stop growling. Edward was still firmly planted between the blonde and us two. The woman was growling lightly, obviously angry. Everyone calmed down enough to stare at me, the assailant. Edward spoke first.

"They don't remember you Bella."

"They should." I spat back angrily, feeling tears I would never spill.

"I haven't even looked at the girl." Defended the blonde.

"Turn." I instructed the redhead I was latched onto. She turned slowly, a growl rising in her throat. The blonde relaxed and smiled, as if nothing was wrong.

"Oh _her_. Unfortunate, and yet what a fantastic job we did."

This earned a growl from Edward, Carlisle stepped forward and Edward quieted. Eleazar followed Carlisle.

"Bella. I want you to let go of..."

"Victoria." Eleazar supplied.

"Victoria, and go with Edward. Please. He'll take you somewhere safe."

"I don't want to be safe. I want them to suffer as I have." I snarled, surprising myself with the ferocity of my words. Everyone was still frozen, Alice looking almost lost. Carlisle and Eleazar turned meaningfully to Edward who, with great difficulty, straightened and turned slightly, towards me, offering me his hand.

"Bella."

"No." I said, my voice shaking with sadness and anger. He moved slowly towards me, running his hands gently up my arms, still wrapped around Victoria's throat. Kudos points to her – she hadn't yet moved or spoken. If she had I would've probably snapped her neck, ripped her head off or something similar.

"Bella. This isn't you. I agree they should pay for the carelessness they showed, but not like this. You don't want another death on your hands. You would never forgive yourself." I hadn't moved, but my eyes were now locked with his beautiful gold ones. "If you don't stop I will forgive you, eventually. But could you?"

I raised my mouth from her neck and loosened my grip slightly.

"Nearly two years of pain, not to mention my parents, and now Sarah's."

"Would Sarah forgive you if you did this?" Edward asked calmly. I closed my eyes slightly, trying to remember. She had never been malicious. When a bully had beaten her up, she wouldn't let me get revenge. When her neighbour's cat ate her hamster, she never let me yell at the neighbours. She would not be happy.

"Sarah is gone. And it's because of these animals." I snarled.

"Who's acting the animal?" the blonde said. I growled and re-tightened my grip on his mate. Emmett gave a huge glare to the blonde and he shut up, intimidated by him.

"Bella please. Let go, we can run far away, alone if you want, for as long as you need to. Wherever we need to go."

"You'll come?" I asked him. Edward smiled slightly.

"I will never leave your side." He raised his arms, holding them out as if to hug me. I wanted them to hurt, like I had hurt. I wanted them to feel overwhelming remorse, to feel worthless and desperate. I turned to Jasper.

"I want them to feel what it's like to be me."

Jasper raised his eyebrows slightly and then looked to Victoria and her mate. James' face turned from smug to pained, with extreme effort he pulled it back into a mask of indifference, but I could see the pain and remorse flashing through his eyes. Victoria stopped growling and let out the smallest of sobs. I let go of Victoria and flung myself at Edward, not caring what happened next. He wrapped his arms under my legs, and carried me away like a child. I knotted my hands in his shirt, sobbing the tearless sobs hard. We were running somewhere.

"Shh, Bella, it's okay. I won't let them hurt you." Déjà vu. He had said similar words when we were running from the wolves. I just kept messing up everything didn't I?

We stopped somewhere. It was a cave, out of the way and warm. We slid inside, and Edward sat on the ground, rocking me gently. I continued to cry, hating myself and my crude actions far into the night. Eventually I quieted. At this point I truly wished I could sleep. It was what I needed.

"Talk to me." I asked. "Tell me something, anything." I said.

"I was snooping around on your iPod the other day and found some Andre Boccelli. You must like opera, so I was considering taking you to Italy or somewhere fantastic with a beautiful opera house. It could be a wedding present if you wanted. Personally I love opera, ballets and the theatre..." he spoke to me for a long time, telling me about his past visits to various places, helping me to relax and forget about the incident back at Eleazar's house. I interrupted with questions every now and then, and he would answer as if we were simply talking at my house, on a regular night. It seemed that he would continue to talk for as long as I didn't stop him, so I did. I pressed my hand gently to his lips.

His ochre eyes met mine and he smiled. I stroked his face with my hand, tracing the dark circles around his eyes and his angular features. I loved everything about this man. If I closed my eyes I could still see him, imagine him, perfectly. My imagination did no justice of course, but I still loved him. Edward looked to the cave entrance, where the sunrise was shining through. We were both reflecting red and orange dots of light around the small cave.

"We talked all night." He said.

"It used to be a regular occurrence." I sighed. Edward looked down at me.

"We lost track of the simple pleasures like this, didn't we? In the hullabaloo of it all, we forgot to take into account that there are some things more important."

"I know. Like my ring." I said, suddenly remembering. Edward frowned. "I still haven't taken it off my bracelet, even though Sarah is long gone. I should be wearing it, so that everyone knows we're together. That I've been claimed." I chuckled. Edward smiled and reached for my bracelet.

"Allow me." He gently unclasped the bracelet, sliding off the ring, and slid the ring onto my finger. We watched the sunrise in peace, in each other's arms, as Edward toyed with the ring now sitting on my left hand.


	18. Forks, not Forks

Before long I knew we had to go back. Edward told me not to worry, but I knew that I needed to go back, to reassure the others that I was okay. As we got closer Edward grimaced.

"Irina is angry with you. Because Jasper didn't let go, he kept them feeling remorse and everything else, they left. Laurent left with them, so Irina is a little upset."

"I'll have to thank Jasper." I smiled sadly, wrapping my arms around Edward's neck. We both entered the house and immediately I was met with two strong responses. Relief from everyone in my family, and Kate, Carmen and Eleazar. Anger from Tanya and Irina. I could understand Irina's anger though. I could only imagine how hard it would be if someone stole Edward from me.

The first thing I did was hug Jasper, who froze momentarily then kind of eased into it. He wasn't used to hugs from anyone really, but he deserved one.

"Thank you for helping me with that, and keeping them like that after I was gone."

"It's alright. I kind of intensified it too, everything you were feeling then, plus everything I'd ever really gotten from you. They had no chance." He squeezed me and I let go, returning to Edward.

"It's your fault he's left! Just go away, go back to whatever rock you just crawled under!" Irina snarled at me swiping one hand towards me. Edward pulled me away in time that it didn't hit me. Carlisle and Eleazar stepped forward. Eleazar spoke first.

"It would be easier, I feel, on the girls if they were not to be in such proximity. Perhaps you-"

"Could take them home. I couldn't agree more." Carlisle finished. He turned to the others and said his goodbyes, they all did, except Edward who stayed put between Irina and myself. Kate and Carmen hugged me.

"Please drop by again. You have such an intriguing mind and way of looking at things. We'd both love for you to return." Carmen whispered into my ear. I nodded and smiled, knowing that the likelihood of that happening was as slim as a strand of thread. Irina and Tanya would not want me anywhere near them.

We all climbed into cars, one left over because Emmett and Rosalie wanted to ride together this time. I offered to drive it. Edward seemed a little upset that he wouldn't be able to talk to me while we were driving, like last time. However, since this trip was only an hour by car, it wasn't going to be that difficult. I was told it was almost a straight road, with one fork, and if you simply turned left you were fine. The other cars sped ahead of me, and I drove slightly slower behind, thinking about everything I had done so far that had made things go wrong. Was I really worth keeping around? I snapped out of it as I slowed at the fork. I couldn't see any of the cars, so I was on my own. Go left, they had said. But the sign in front of me said that left was a dead end. Or was it: Don't go left? I really needed to pay more attention.

If I went to the dead end – it could lead to the Cullen house. Or it could lead to a mountain trail, there were plenty of them up here. If I went right then if I hit nothing within the hour I just turn around right? I tossed a coin eventually. Right it was. Little did I know that right would involve an excruciating amount of pain.

**(A/N – I considered leaving you with a short chapter and that hook, but decided to be nice and continue. Don't you love me?)**

EPOV

"You don't have to go back you know. You don't need to worry. We can stay out here as long as you want." I ran my fingers through her silky hair. She shook her head and we both began running back. I had taken her very far away, out of my mental range of hearing the others. As soon as we entered it I could hear nothing but malicious thoughts from Irina and Tanya. Alice was watching each scenario and trying not to turn around and rip the two women to shreds. Jasper was still trying to keep everyone calm. The other's thoughts were simple worries and regrets. Alice notified the others of our impending arrival and the thoughts turned to relief, on the most part.

I had to let Bella know what she was walking into. "Irina is angry with you. Because Jasper didn't let go, he kept them feeling remorse and everything else, they left. Laurent left with them, so Irina is a little upset."

"I'll have to thank Jasper." She hugged me, pulling herself up slightly around my neck, as we neared the abode . We both entered the house and immediately I was met with two strong responses. Relief from everyone in my family, and Kate, Carmen and Eleazar. Anger from Tanya and Irina. Tanya's anger was completely driven by jealousy, but now that she had a reason to dislike my love, she was holding onto it like a child with a shiny new toy. Bella let go of me and hugged Jasper.

_Wh-? What...Why? Well this is okay I guess. I'm not really usually accepting hugs from anyone but Alice. Occasionally Esme too. Bella just needed a friend to help and I was glad to. Tell her that later would you Ed?_

My returning look was a 'don't call me Ed' look, but then a nod of understanding.

"Thank you for helping me with that, and keeping them like that after I was gone." Typical Bella. She was practically ignoring the present danger, to give someone a gratitude speech.

"It's alright. I kind of intensified it too, everything you were feeling then, plus everything I'd ever really gotten from you. They had no chance."

_She will pay. Laurent doesn't know when or if he'll be back! It's all because of her! I had been waiting for so long!_

_Irina and I have to stick together. There is no way I'm letting that girl off the hook this time._

"It's your fault he's left! Just go away, go back to whatever rock you just crawled under!" Irina snarled at her swiping one hand towards Bella. I pulled her away just in time and turned, glaring meaningfully at Carlisle and Eleazar. Eleazar spoke first.

"It would be easier, I feel, on the girls if they were not to be in such proximity. Perhaps you-"

"Could take them home. I couldn't agree more." Carlisle finished. As the others said their goodbyes I kept a close eye on Irina and Tanya, not trusting myself to move from the defensive position I was in. Kate and Carmen actually mentally asked permission to hug Bella, just in case. I smiled at them, letting them know it was alright.

"Please drop by again. You have such an intriguing mind and way of looking at things. We'd both love for you to return."

We all climbed into cars, one left over because Emmett and Rosalie wanted to ride together this time. Bella and I were put into separate cars this time. No more game then, no more wondering what she was thinking. As I was driving though, my brain, as if Bella were still playing with me, made me keep an eye out for the animals. Three caribou and a wolf later, we turned into our house. I could distantly hear the thoughts of James and Victoria, the vampires from the house, still in the area.

_Turning right. That should do it._

_She'll come this way soon._

I assumed they were talking about Irina, as Laurent's mind was filled with wishes to see her again. How wrong I was. Alice shrieked suddenly and I, not yet completely out of the car, sunk back in, turning it around and driving back. Bella had gone the wrong way, I could see that much in Alice's mind. I could also see her surrounded by James and Victoria. There was no way she stood any chance against them. She was untrained in fighting arts, she was fast and had incredible co-ordination, thanks to the dancing, but there was no way she could fight off two vampires, intent on the kill. My car protested as I pushed it to the limit.

**(A/N – I considered stopping here too. This is the length of most of my chapters. Aren't you glad I didn't?)**

BPOV

Out of nowhere the car was suddenly in the air. I flipped and turned, eventually landing, with the body of the car crushing me into the ground. How odd, this is almost exactly what happened to Edward. As I fought my way out of the metal, awkwardly. My arm was suddenly grabbed. I felt a sharp stinging at my shoulder and then a pull. My arm flew away from my body with a horrible ripping noise. I had no arm. I felt like I was going to throw up. The pain was so violent that I could see stars. A vampire seeing stars.

I was still stuck in the car. Someone helped me with that, ripping it up and pulling me out, slamming me into a nearby tree. It was the blonde. I tried to reach up with my arms and saw my relocated arm try to move too. I wiggled my fingers and it wiggled its fingers. So I still had control over the arm? Eww.

Victoria interrupted my musings by jumping over her mate and sinking her teeth into my other shoulder. She began pulling at that arm too. I shrieked in pain again and felt that arm being pulled from my body. The worst part was, I could still feel the venom stinging in the gaping wounds. I tried to get the arms to move together, using my fingers to crawl in the dirt. When I eventually clasped hands I began to move them towards the car. My cell phone was in there somewhere. The blonde dug his fingers into my throat and I heard them pierce the skin too. He let go suddenly laughing as he spun away with Victoria. I fell to the ground, unable to hoist myself up.

_Yes you can._ Sarah's voice flitted through my brain. _You know this. You can do all kinds of no-handed flips. Use them!_

She was right – or I was right. I flipped myself into an upright position. I could do this.


	19. Monsters

I needed to first – however disgusting this was – get my arms back. I began running, towards where I had been pulling my arms – the car – when Victoria moved in beside me, her eyes blazing. I pulled my head down, swinging one of my legs up and over. The flip was more of a sideways cartwheel, and had I been human I would've probably broken my back doing it. But I wasn't. I spun gracefully, kicking her harshly to the ground as I continued towards the car. My hands reached up to grab my torso...eww... and I tightened my fingers, holding onto my own clothing for dear life. I began to run, away, anywhere away from them, when I was suddenly being chased by the blonde one. He managed to get close behind me and I, somehow managed to do a high enough back flip, that he ran right under me. That gave Edward enough time.

He arrived as I landed, going straight for the blonde. I collapsed onto the ground, feeling the venom sting still. It _hurt_. Victoria took advantage of the situation as I lay on the ground, my arms still gripping me and unattached. She grabbed me and started running, her hand clamped over my mouth. I could barely see Edward fighting the blonde behind us, the two men twisting and turning with rage, violently clawing at each other – looking not unlike animals and yet so graceful and calculated. Victoria stopped after a second, ripping my arms away and digging her teeth into my neck, a small tear began forming and she started to pull. The pain now was so much worse than before.

"Stop!" I heard Alice cry. When had she gotten here? I could smell burning and suddenly Victoria was screeching, pulling at my neck harder. I could feel liquid flowing from the tear. Venom? Or the blood of my last victim? I was so curious suddenly, not really caring what was happening to me. Where was Edward? He wasn't the one to have been burned was he? Fear ripped through me at that point. I did not want Edward dead. He shouldn't have to die for my actions, but as Alice stepped out of the trees, her arms being held behind her by a strong blonde figure I knew it was true. His head was ducked into her hair, his teeth at her neck.

"Victoria?" he asked, his voice muffled by Alice's neck.

"James! I had thought you gone!" My captor shrilled in happiness. James chuckled, his jacket was ripped in a few places, making it appear much looser on his lanky frame.

"It would take a lot more than that boy to destroy me."

Edward was dead. The burning I could smell was his body, lit by the murderer who now held my sister captive. Alice's face looked so torn, so distraught, if she had been human she would've been crying. I couldn't focus on it anymore. Where were the others? Why had they not been able to save Edward? As if to answer my thoughts I heard Esme's wail of despair from where the smoke was billowing above the trees. Edward. My brain began to slow everything down. Were I human, I would've called it an adrenaline rush – like in the movies where everything suddenly started to move in slow motion. But I wasn't, no I was simply filled with pure anger. Edward, the one vampire to ever understand me, my predicament, my hunting style, my life, was gone. Edward, the only vampire to ever love me, to know me, to accept and cherish me, was dead. Edward, the man I had wanted to marry and spend eternity with, was gone forever. I would join him as soon as possible. No. I would join him after I had killed his murderers.

James and Victoria had stolen three lives. They had brutally murdered me, leaving me in agony for days. They were primarily responsible for the death of my soul-sister Sarah. And now, the worst crime imaginable, they had killed Edward, a person so pure and delightful, so gentlemanly and loving that he deserved to spend eternity surrounded by the ones he loved. My arms, I don't even know how, threw themselves back at me, attaching where they were supposed to. My neck began to seal itself and I pulled Victoria over my shoulder pinning her to the ground as I began my attack.

Her eyes snapped shut in fear. I was beyond caring. This was my chance to avenge three murders, two of them hurting me beyond imagination. My hands found her eyes, as I dug my nails into her eye-sockets, tearing at her skull. It ripped into two pieces, the skin unbroken, and her nose collapsed back into her head. One fast punch in the center of the crack, split the skin and crushed her brain. My hand was covered in nothing but slime, blood, venom and fragments of bone. I wasn't done.

My teeth tore at her neck, ripping out muscles and eventually getting to her spine. I snapped it easily from her skull and pulled, hard. Her spinal column ripped itself from her back, flowing out of her gaping neck wound. I cast aside the bloody mess that was her spine and moved to her chest. I slit open her chest, her ribcage, and began violently ripping individual organs away from her body, casting them aside, not caring about anything but mutilating her body, making sure she paid for what she did, and could never possibly return.

It didn't take much time to rip every muscle and bone apart. To destroy every part of what was once a beautiful lady. I felt no remorse as I continued to massacre her remains. With Sarah, the guilt and overwhelming pity was evident, present as I started and only growing as I continued to feed on her. With Mouse, the shame was there, instantaneously. With Victoria I felt nothing but disgust, anger, loathing and the briefest hint of satisfaction. I turned almost instantly to James, my body was crouched like a cat, fierce growls erupting from my chest, which was wracked with pain, over Edward's demise. I could feel the blood and venom falling off of various parts of my body, and it practically spewing from my mouth. My shoulders and neck were burning, my arms tingling, and my chest felt as though it was missing a huge section, like it had been mercilessly ripped out. God, it hurt.

Alice, stood, staring at me, her face showing nothing but shock and pain. I could hear the others moving in the trees. No. James was mine. The world was still slow, so peaceful and so painful. The smoke rising from Edward's body was visible over the trees, billowing in slow motion, being blown by the cold wind, so slowly. My mind was racing faster than I could've believed. Thousands of ways to kill James, without hurting Alice. I had to move quickly, or James would kill my sister, causing her, Jasper and the family more grief than they needed. Two children was enough; Edward, then me. Nobody else needed to perish. Except James. He needed to die, slowly, painfully. Or quickly like his mate. It was no doubt how he had killed Edward. Perhaps I would return the favour... over my dead body.

I moved without warning, without even telling myself to move. I leapt across the clearing, at James and Alice, before either of them had a chance to move, or think, or react. I landed in the small space between them, forcing him to let go of her. I pushed Alice away hard, into a pile of Victoria's remains. I would apologize for that later. I redirected my attention to James' neck, my arms clamping around his frame, my teeth finding his neck. Sarah's face flashed across my vision and her voice filled my mind.

_No Bella! Stop! Please, look!_

I hesitated for the briefest of seconds. James took the opportunity to throw me backwards, away from him, until I crashed into a tree on the other side of the clearing. I looked at the mess around me as Emmett and Jasper flung themselves at me, appearing out of nowhere, pinning me down, holding me away. The clearing was covered in remains. It almost looked like a dumpster from the slaughterhouse had been emptied here. Except for the hollow mask of red hair on the ground, several feet from where I was standing. Her head almost looked like a mask you would buy out of a costume shop. Because her skull had been pounded to dust, her skin was folding in on itself, but still intact, like a rubber mask. I hadn't yet reached the stage where I was disgusted with my actions. Right now I was still in high-speed, anger mode, absorbing information, but not processing it.

James began walking towards me and I roared, sounding much like a deranged panther. Voices were shouting at me, calling my name, some calmly, others not. I wasn't listening, I wasn't even aware of whose they were. I was just so intent on ripping James to shreds. He shrugged off his jacket and his figure seemed to deflate. He was no longer the broad muscular man he had been, he now looked more woman-like. When my eyes met his face I was more confused than ever. Rosalie was staring back at me, pulling her hair out of the ponytail, looking furious at me for attacking her. What?

"Isabella." A voice sounded gently from beside me. Impossible. Edward was standing beside me, his eyes full of worry, his voice deceptively calm. I stopped struggling instantly, focusing on him. He wasn't real. He couldn't be. Despite my brain's chanting my chest filled again, not healing the wound, but as if there had never been a wound in the first place. Edward walked in front of me, slowly, smiling and making no move to approach me.

"Bella." He whispered, pain now evident in his voice. "Come back to me. I don't want to lose you to this monster, please?"

The monster inside me broke faster than a vase knocked off a table. I stopped trying to get free, stopped trying to disprove my brain, stopped everything and calmed down. I wasn't aware that I was still growling until my snarls quieted. The world began to slow down as I watched Edward, who was still there, unmoving. My arms were let go, and Emmett and Jasper backed away. Edward, instead, moved forward, keeping his golden eyes locked with mine.

"Bella." He said, his voice ringing with happiness and assurance. He knew I was back. I lunged at him, knocking him to the ground in a vicious hug. My lips met his and didn't break from them for minutes. Edward's hands wrapped around my waist as mine flew into his hair. He was definitely real. His mouth moved against mine as we rolled away from the damaged tree. Someone whistled. I couldn't give a damn. Edward was here, alive, unharmed. The feelings darting through me made me so jubilant, so peaceful, that Jasper laughed.

Edward broke the kiss first.

"I was so afraid for you Bella, my brain could hardly think. Seeing you so vulnerable, so ... at the mercy of those two killers. Every thought running through my mind was centered on you, especially when Victoria stole you away from my vision. I had to stay focused on James, to defeat him, but it took much longer than it should've simply because I was afraid. I have never felt such fear before. It wasn't even fear for myself or my family, but fear for your sake. I feared about losing you." He shuddered as he stared at me, running his fingers across my lips.

"And to see you lose control so hideously. It was my entire fault, my plan. To save you we had to convince her to relax, that James was still with her, so that she wouldn't snap your head off. But the agony that went through your eyes when you thought I was dead... I have never seen nor felt the likes before." Edward began kissing me. "I am so sorry Bella, so sorry."

I didn't care. He was alive, and we were safe. I quieted him with another kiss.

** AN - 'splaining = Vampires can do mimickry. At the 3/4 mark in New Moon, Alice replicates Edwards voice. So I figured - Why couldn't Rosalie mimick James'?**


	20. Fears

EPOV

I could see the entire battle in Victoria and James' eyes. It started with her car flipping and crashing to the ground, glass and metal fragments shattering all over the cold, solid ground. Part of the car hit a small snow drift, sending snow into the air. Bella managed to pull her way out of the metal awkwardly, not really looking at her surroundings. I saw it all almost in slow motion, as James leant forward and sunk his teeth into her skin, wrenching her arm away from her body. The steering wheel, by this point, had cracks along the sides, where I was gripping it so tightly. Victoria was the next one to attack. My car was now protesting the speed at which I was traveling, every corner I turned, the wheels threatened to simply snap off. I could hear the minds of my siblings, following, not driving nearly as quickly as I was.

I shouldn't have let her get so far behind, I should have stayed with her. I could've prevented this, her pain and suffering. I could see Bella's face contorted in agony as James slammed her into a tree. Small amounts of blood and venom had begun to trickle from her wound.

_This should teach you to mess with us._

_Too bad, really. She is pretty. This would've been more enjoyable if it had been a real hunt._ James thought that last word with such 'evil' that I nearly shivered.

He enjoyed hurting others, humans, vampires, whatever. Victoria at this point was simply enjoying the pain she was inflicting. She mercilessly ripped off Bella's other arm, and with the look on her face; one of complete pain and agony, I could've killed Victoria a thousand times, a thousand ways, and felt no remorse at all.

James began slowly digging his fingers into the soft, yet brilliantly hard skin of her neck, piercing it. He was almost relishing the feel of the blood/venom mixture seeping onto his fingers. Victoria suddenly pulled him away, kissing him, as energetic and ecstatic as he was now. What they didn't notice was Bella, until it was too late. She had begun running towards her arms, the car, when Victoria swept in, her mind cackling with the thought of a chase. But Bella surprised them both. She flipped herself, kicking Victoria to the ground. She was uninjured, simply pissed off as she made to stand back up. By this time, Bella had her arms clinging to her and was running. James had remained still until this point, fascinated by her determination.

_Oh no you don't!_ He thought as he began chasing her. I was nearly there. I didn't even stop the car, simply flung myself out of the window and lunged at James, who was literally seconds away from killing Bella. He had had it all set in his mind; a simple rip at her throat. I snarled, distracting him and we wrestled, knocking over a tree. I dodged every attack he tried, and yet he managed to still attack me. I was distracted, by the thoughts of his mate, who had snatched Bella up and was dragging her away. James landed a few good swipes before I managed to finally press him against a tree. My teeth went for his throat, pulling at his flesh. He was dead in seconds. I had managed to rip him apart. Alice arrived as I was about to go for the other one.

_She has Bella. One move and Bella dies. We have to let her think she has the upper hand, that you lost. Here, give me the jacket quickly. I've explained this to the others. Keep out of sight Edward! Bella's life may depend on it._

She put the jacket on Rosalie, pulling her hair into the same ponytail James had been wearing. I was watching Victoria, who was still mentally calling for her mate, and vowing to kill "the girl" if he had been harmed. Rosalie pushed Alice forward, being careful to hide her face. Behind me, Emmett and Jasper had begun to burn James' body. Both of them knew exactly what they had to do, obviously Alice had done some explaining while I had been focusing on Bella's attackers. Esme was preparing herself to scream, when Alice gave the signal. What signal?

I was now watching Bella through my sister's eyes, careful to stay concealed amongst the trees. When Bella saw James, not me, enter the clearing I could've killed myself. The pain that had been on her face before, the agony and suffering, multiplied exponentially. She looked as though she were being burned alive, that every second was purgatory. Victoria, of course was ecstatic, boasting mentally about the skill of her mate, and mentally berating herself for doubting him. Rosalie had said something, but I was more focused on Bella.

Her burgundy eyes looked beyond crazy. Bella had left, and not even Sarah was there to replace her. Instead, she appeared to be a simple mass of animalistic instinct, set on revenge. Even I was afraid of her. No I was beyond that, I was afraid for her. I could hardly think straight. Bella was so far gone now that I doubted even my presence would bring her back. This monster had destroyed her and it was all my fault. I ached to step into the clearing, or to give her some sign that I was alright, that she would be safe. Except that I didn't know if that were the case. If Victoria suspected the ruse, it would only take seconds before she killed Bella.

The two words kept rolling around in my head. Killed Bella. What would I do without her? She was more than my other half. She was essential to my survival. As the seconds ticked on, more and more fear ripped through me. None of us would make it out of here. Bella wouldn't be able to come back. Without her I could not live. She was worse than dead at this point, she had lost her mind. Bella had disappeared and would never come back to me.

Suddenly everything I feared – Bella completely losing control – happened. She, somehow, managed to pull her arms back to her body, and turn the tables on Victoria. It took under six seconds, for Bella to completely destroy Victoria. She ripped, quickly, brutally, at her body, throwing various remains, skeletal and muscular all over the clearing. Alice and the others were watching, none of them able to form a coherent thought as Bella ripped through Victoria's remains. She turned then to Alice and Rosalie. Was she so far gone that she didn't recognize friend from foe? What hope did she have of returning if this was the case? Everyone began moving towards her, easing up now that the threat was gone. What they didn't see was the threat was now Bella.

Alice didn't even have a chance to see the move occur, before Bella flung herself at them. She must've had some knowledge of friend vs foe, because she threw Alice out of harm's way, before turning to begin her attack on who she believed was James. I was watching through Rosalie's eyes, as Bella suddenly stopped, her hand in mid strike, her throat in mid growl, as if to listen to something. Rose took the opportunity to push Bella away, forcing her into a tree on the opposite side of the clearing. Emmett and Jasper pinned her quickly. I ran out into the clearing, glancing briefly at the damage she had done. Bella had truly ripped her into thousands of pieces.

She began roaring, struggling to get away, and Emmett and Jasper were having trouble pinning her down.

"Bella! Hey it's over!" Emmett yelled.

"Bella, you have to calm down!" Jasper was shouting.

"God, no Bella! Please don't do this!" Alice sobbed gently.

Rosalie pulled off her disguise, mentally fuming about Bella's lack of control. I was standing right in her line of vision, she just wasn't looking. She was so focused on trying to get free, trying to kill.

"Isabella." I called, gently, despite my mind screaming at me to go over there and shake her out of it. She needed to come back on her own. At the sound of my voice she froze, her eyes flashing with remembrance and intelligence, before Bella disappeared again. I walked more directly in front of her. She _had_ to see me now.

"Bella." I whispered, every part of me trying to call her back to me, to reality, where it was safe again. "Come back to me. I don't want to lose you to this monster, please?" As I stared into her eyes, Bella returned. Her eyes filled with confusion and understanding, and hope, as her growling finally stopped. Emmett and Jasper broke away, and she stayed still. I moved forward. Bella was back. I could see it.

"Bella."

She suddenly pounced at me, wrapping her arms around me as she began kissing me enthusiastically. I felt so comfortable, so relieved, that I forgot everything else but her. I hadn't lost her. My love, my life, my Bella, was back.

"I was so afraid for you Bella, my brain could hardly think. Seeing you so vulnerable, so ... at the mercy of those two killers. Every thought running through my mind was centered on you, especially when Victoria stole you away from my vision. I had to stay focused on James, to defeat him, but it took much longer than it should've simply because I was afraid. I have never felt such fear before. It wasn't even fear for myself or my family, but fear for your sake. I feared about losing you. And to see you lose control so hideously... It was my entire fault, my plan. To save you we had to convince her to relax, that James was still with her, so that she wouldn't snap your head off. But the agony that went through your eyes when you thought I was dead... I have never seen nor felt the likes before." I stopped tracing her lips and began kissing her lightly again. "I am so sorry Bella, so sorry."

She stopped me talking with another kiss. I didn't care. She was alive, and we were safe.


	21. Normality

**AN - I have no ideas left for this story. [:'(] **

**This is kind of a wrap-up, until I can figure out what to do with it. Please help me! I think this is called, putting the story on 'hiatus'. Not permanently I promise. ****  
**

* * *

It wasn't long before we were in school again. Bella had wanted to finish high school, so we all registered as grade nine students, to restart the diploma process. Bella was the only one who was actually excited. However, she was also hungry, and she hadn't hunted in a long time. I was the only one who seemed to notice though, because Bella was hiding it, very well.

We sat in our first class, on our first day of school. It was English and Bella was looking over the reading list when the teacher had walked by. Bella's pencil snapped in her hand and she stopped breathing for a fraction of a second, clearing her throat slightly. I gripped her hand and she looked at me, smiling as if nothing were wrong. After a few seconds of my furious glare, Bella looked away, ashamed. At lunch I cornered her, quietly, as most of the school was looking at the 'new students'.

"You need to h-eat." I said. Bella coyly picked up an apple from her plate, biting into it. I growled at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Give it a few days. Let's settle down before I go around mugging people shall we?"

"She has a point." Rosalie said, drawing on the table with a pencil. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Bella you are in strong discomfort. You nearly attacked our English teacher this morning, in case you had forgotten." I reminded her, then softened my tone. "I just don't want you to lose control when you do feed."

Bella looked at me and nodded.

"Tonight then, but not in this town. I'll run to the next city or something." She said, with conviction. The issue was settled. _They have a dance team here Edward. Should I mention it? _Alice asked. I looked to my left and then my right very slightly, saying no. Emmett, however, who clearly wasn't thinking, did.

"Hey Bells, did you know they have a dance team here?" I tensed, waiting for the anger, the sadness that accompanied Sarah's memory.

"Ya. I don't think I'm going to go for it though. I just want to focus on school this time round." She said, as if it were any other topic. Now I truly was confused.

_Ow! Why the hell did Alice kick me?_

_I'm not helping her Edward... she's not feeling sad or anything. I can't explain it. _

It was something to ponder on a rainy day. Here, it more frequently snowed than rained. Why would she feel no sadness? She couldn't have simply forgotten the years of masquerade, the years of masochism, the endless grief. I would have to talk to her about it later. At the present time I was scrolling over the thoughts of every student and teacher in the school, for any suspicions. Nothing except intense shock over 'how stunning' we were and jealousy, of course. I felt sorry for Jasper. The day went by extremely slowly, the only real excitement was when Emmett actually walked into a post. He wasn't paying attention at all. Thankfully he managed to slow his momentum enough that the post wasn't dented, but a great deal of the school saw it. I relayed the incident to Bella when we were in our math class.

"Emmett just smashed into a pole." I chuckled. Bella looked over to me shocked.

"Is the pole alright?" she said. It made me laugh harder. The teacher looked at me and I flashed her a grin. A faint blush rose to her cheeks and she disregarded the slight interruption. Bella rolled her eyes and I shrugged. You have to do what is necessary.

When we were in the Volvo, after school we all cornered Emmett for information.

"You smashed into a pole!" I laughed.

"What were you thinking?" Rose said.

"He wasn't clearly."

_Eddie, let me get a word in. There was a reason I wasn't looking where I was going. I could've __sworn_ _I saw a large wolf outside the window._

My laughter stopped instantly.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Because I didn't want to worry anyone, and I wasn't sure, and I had just embarrassed myself in front of the entire school." _Plus, they couldn't possibly know where we went._

It was true. No one had known where we were moving to, only that we were going away. The Quileute tribe would not stray so far from their home. None of them had that kind of obligation, to travel such a distance, to hunt a coven of vampires that were supposedly at peace with them. The others had missed out on the first part of the conversation. Emmett filled them in while I looked at Bella. She looked very thirsty. I remembered Alice's vision, of Bella teaching me how to hunt like her. Was I ready for that? Could I take that risk? No. Not now.

When we got home, I took Bella out. We both ran for a long time, talking as we went.

"Why were you so stoic today?"

"What do you mean?"

"You showed no emotion, even though Emmett's statement should've clearly upset you." I was catching fragments of thoughts of humans all over the place. Most were thinking about dinner, ironic really, since we were about to turn them into dinner. Bella took a while (three miles) to answer.

"I don't want to keep hurting you." What? That answer made no sense. Thankfully Bella continued. "When I was in that clearing, distraught, and completely insane, all I could think about was you. Avenging your murder, living without you, how I would try and join you. I also thought about how selfish I was, and all the times I'd hurt you. I don't want to hurt you anymore. It's much better for everyone if I just let go, of Sarah, Mouse, and all the pain, all the agony. If I just pretend, or try to actually be happy."

She stopped and pulled up her hood, tying a mask over her face. She swept me into a strong hug, and I squeezed he gently back.

"You may want to watch out on the first one. I don't know what my revolution has done to my ability to stop feeding on people."

I would not let her kill. She could see the promise in my eyes. Bella began running down the street and I followed, far enough behind her that I wasn't in the way, but close enough to get in the way if I wanted. Her first victim was a close call. She drained twice her usual amount from the body, before she backed up. Bella took a moment to calm herself and then moved on. I knelt beside the man, making sure he was alright. He would be fine, just a little dazed. I stood, running after Bella.

_What the-? _Was all the next victim thought, before she was pulled into Bella's grasp. It took only a few hours. Bella had made nearly two hundred dollars and was no longer hungry. I wrapped my arms around her waist as I pulled down the hood and off the mask. Her burgundy eyes looked into mine. She was definitely happy, and very calm right now. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight. The ring on her hand sparkled just as much as the bracelet I had given her.

On our way back, I picked off a few animals, satiating my thirst. We slowed before we got to the house. We were both standing, in the permafrost, Bella staring at the stars above us.

"What do you see?" she asked suddenly. I looked to the sky. What did I see? Stars.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not answering with my instinct.

"I mean, what do you see? I see an expanse of incredible, unimaginable proportions, filled with mystery, wonder and possibilities. Filled with beauty, and inconceivable sights."

"Are we talking about us or the stars?" I replied swiftly. Bella turned to me, smiling.

"A little of both maybe." She said, looking at me expectantly.

"I see peace, tranquility, the ability to lose yourself watching the endless blackness. I see a sort of electricity, exciting and at the same time so relaxing." I answered honestly. "It's always changing, always moving, always unpredictable."

"Are we talking about us or the stars?" she repeated shyly.

"A little of both maybe." I quoted. We walked back to the house, hand in hand. We had so much on our plates right now. The possibility of danger, along with the knowledge of what was to come, right beside the future uncertainties. We knew that we would be married soon, and that for the next few years we would be living in this city, in this school. We didn't know what was to come. How would we grow together? We had both changed so much since our initial meeting. Had Emmett really seen a wolf? Or was his mind simply playing tricks on him? So many questions. At least we had eternity to answer them.


End file.
